Michael Pack pleads guilty in inmate rights conspiracy case in West Virginia

Michael Pack has pleaded guilty in a federal case involving a conspiracy to violate inmate rights at a correctional facility in West Virginia.

The former officer worked at Southern Regional Jail, where prosecutors say multiple correctional staff used unreasonable force against inmates, including pretrial detainees.

According to court admissions, Pack acknowledged participating in a pattern where inmates believed to have committed misconduct were physically assaulted as punishment or retaliation.

Investigators say inmates were often taken to areas inside the jail not covered by surveillance cameras, described as blind spots, where force could be used without video evidence.

Federal prosecutors state that these locations were deliberately chosen to avoid accountability and reduce the chance of outside review.

Pack also admitted that false written reports were prepared after such incidents.

Those reports allegedly denied that excessive force had occurred and omitted injuries suffered by inmates during encounters with officers.

Authorities say the false documentation was intended to prevent investigations and protect those involved from disciplinary or criminal consequences.

The guilty plea was entered before Omar J. Aboulhosn in federal court.

Sentencing is scheduled for July, where Pack could face up to five years in prison along with a financial penalty reaching 250,000 dollars.

The prosecution is being handled by the United States Department of Justice through its Civil Rights Division together with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.

Officials say the case reflects continued federal scrutiny of custodial abuse allegations and misuse of authority inside detention institutions.

The broader investigation remains important because it addresses how internal reporting systems can be manipulated when staff act collectively to conceal misconduct.

Civil rights prosecutors continue to examine accountability standards in detention facilities where inmates depend entirely on institutional protection.

The guilty plea marks another legal step in a case that has raised serious concerns about oversight, inmate safety, and transparency inside correctional environments.

Courtesy: justice.gov