COLUMBUS, Ohio — A former Franklin County Sheriff's Office deputy was indicted on three charges for allegedly violating an inmate's civil rights which led to them being attacked two years ago.
United States Attorney Kenneth Parker's office announced that 27-year-old Matthew Carey, of Grove City, was arrested on Tuesday and had his initial appearance in federal court.
According to an indictment, Carey was working as a deputy with the sheriff's office in the Franklin County Corrections Center when the attack happened in March 2022.
Carey had access to the victim's "floor cards," which contained information about each inmate. Some of that information includes pending charges and identifies which inmates should be "kept separate" from each other.
On March 11, 2022, Carey is accused of looking at the victim's floor cards, which stated they had been charged with a sex offense. Knowing the potential risk to the victim if that information was disclosed to other inmates, Carey still told another inmate about the victim's sex offense charge, according to the indictment. Carey then allegedly said words to the effect of, "I thought you should know who you were in here with" and nodded.
According to the indictment, it's well known among deputies and inmates that revealing an inmate's charges could put them at risk of harm.
The indictment says Carey had no reason to share the victim's charges with the other inmate and the other inmate understood Carey's words and gestures to be directing and authorizing an attack on the victim.
Once Carey allegedly told the inmate about the victim's charge, he took no reasonable steps to protect the victim from "the predictable and expected assault by other inmates that Carey set in motion." The inmate then told other inmates about the victim's charge. The inmate also said the source of his information was Carey.
After the other inmates learned about the victim's charges, the inmates physically attacked the victim.
In addition to a conspiracy charge, Carey is charged with two counts of depriving the victim of his constitutional rights under color of law and one count of conspiracy against rights. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years.