PINCKNEYVILLE, Ill. (WJPF) – A former correctional officer at the Pinckneyville Correctional Cennter has pleaded guilty to charges he beat an inmate and then conspired to cover up his actions.
Cord Williams, 35, of Vergennes, admitted to violating the inmate’s civil rights by using excessive force under color of law and of conspiracy to obstruct justice by falsifying reports.
Federal prosecutors say that in April 2022, Williams, along with another guard, Christian Pyles, 25, of Christopher, beat the inmate as punishment for punching a correctional officer. The inmate was fully restrained in handcuffs and leg irons and suffered from facial fractures, cuts, a chipped tooth, and lung damage.
A third correctional officer, Mark Maxwell, 52, of Pinckneyville, is also charged in the incident. As their supervisor, Maxwell is accused of doing nothing while the beating happened.
