By Jennifer Rios
San Angelo Standard-Times
SAN ANGELO, Texas — Two former Big Spring correctional officers pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from an inmate suicide two years ago while they were on duty.
Frederick Hernandez, 45 of Big Spring, appeared before U.S. District Judge Sam Cummings and pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements and aiding and abetting.
He faces up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
Last week Christopher Moore, 42 of Dallas, pleaded guilty to one count of misprision of a felony and faces three years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
Misprison of a felony refers to concealing a felony you took no part in.
Cummings ordered a presentence investigation report for each defendant. A sentencing date will be set after the reports are complete.
The arrests came as a result of a Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General investigation, according to a release from U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.
Between Aug. 22 and Aug. 23, 2012, part of the officers’ duties included making mandatory 30-minute safety checks on each cell in the Flight Line Unit’s Special Housing Unit at the Big Spring Correctional Center. They also were expected to conduct six mandatory formal inmate counts during a 24-hour period beginning at 12:01 a.m., 3 a.m., 5 a.m., 10 a.m., 4 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Each correctional officer was further required to certify that the mandatory 30-minute safety check of each cell and the mandatory formal inmate counts were made. Hernandez was the supervising officer.
Luis Bent, an inmate housed in the Flight Line Unit, committed suicide during the 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. shift. He was discovered at breakfast the morning of Aug. 23.
Hernandez admitted that he completed, signed and submitted to the Department of Justice, as required by law, the “SHU Control Log” forms indicating that formal counts of inmates had been performed from 12:01 a.m. to 5:10 a.m. on August 22-23, 2012, according to a U.S. Attorney news release. Hernandez further admitted he knew the logs were not correct and were false in that the formal counts of inmates were not conducted.
Moore admitted he knew Correctional Officers at BSCC submitted forms to the Department of Justice, as required by law, indicating that safety check rounds were conducted, when, in fact, he knew they had not been conducted. He further admitted that he concealed this fact and failed to advise an authority.
In related cases, two other former Big Spring correctional officers — 22-year-old James McKinnon and 24-year-old Jamie Navarette Salgado — each pleaded guilty in September 2013.
McKinnon pleaded guilty to one count of misprision of a felony, and Salgado pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements and aiding and abetting.
McKinnon was sentenced to six months in federal prison and ordered to pay a $500 fine in December.
Salgado admitted making false entries on logs and falsely indicating he had conducted safety rounds, according to the release. McKinnon admitted that he knew entries on the logs were incorrect and that he failed to advise an authority.
It was unclear Wednesday if Salgado has been sentenced. His information was not available on a federal records website.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulina Jacobo is prosecuting the Big Spring cases.