3:19-cr-30067-RM-TSH # 1

E-FILED

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Thursday, 05 December, 2019 09:39:32 AM
Clerk, U.S. District Court, ILCD

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

-ED

CENTRAL DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS
SPRING FIEL I.Jlllt.l~~ ~--l~

F BLE D
DEC O4 2019

CLERK OF THE COURT
U.S. DiSTRICT COURT
CENTRAL DISTR!CT OF ILLINOJS

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, )
)
Plaintiff,
) Criminal No. 19-CR-300 (o'"7
)

) VIO: Title 18, United States Code,
)
Sections 241, 242, 1519,
)
1512(b), 1512(b)(3), 1512(k),
)
and 2.
)
)
)

V.

TODD SHEFFLER,
WILLIE HEDDEN, and
ALEX BANTA.
Defendants.

INDICTMENT
COUNT 1
(Conspiracy to Deprive Civil Rights)
THE GRAND JURY CHARGES:
At all times material to this indictment:
1.

The Western Illinois Correctional Center (WI CC) was a state

prison facility located in Brown County, Illinois and was part of the
Illinois Department of Corrections. WICC consisted of four separate
residential housing units for inmates (Rl - R4) and a separate
segregated housing unit for inmates transferred there for disciplinary
or other administrative reasons.

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2.

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Defendant TODD SHEFFLER was a lieutenant at WICC

and had supervisory authority over Defendants WILLIE HEDDEN and
ALEX BANTA and other correctional officers at WICC.
3.

Defendant WILLIE HEDDEN was a sergeant at WICC and

had supervisory authority over Defendant BANTA and other
correctional officers at WICC.
4.

Defendant ALEX BANTA was a correctional officer at WICC

and was a subordinate officer to Defendants SHEFFLER and
HEDDEN.
5.

Larry Earvin, age 65, was an inmate at WICC and was

eligible for parole in September 2018. Mr. Earvin was assigned to the

Rl (D Wing) residential housing unit at WICC.
The Conspiracy
6.

On or about May 17, 2018, in Brown County and in the

Central District of Illinois, the defendants,
TODD SHEFFLER, WILLIE HEDDEN, and ALEX BANTA,
while acting under color of law of the State of Illinois, did willfully
combine, conspire, confederate and agree to injure, oppress, threaten
and intimidate Larry Earvin, an inmate at WICC, in the free exercise
and enjoyment of the rights and privileges secured to him by the
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Constitution and laws of the United States, namely, the right to be free
from cruel and unusual punishment. Bodily injury and death to Mr.
Earvin resulted from the acts committed in this violation.

Manner and Means (including Overt Acts) of the Conspiracy
7.

As part of the conspiracy, on or about May 17, 2018,

Defendants SHEFFLER, HEDDEN, and BANTA participated in the
forcible escort of Mr. Earvin from his RI (D Wing) residential housing
unit at WICC to the segregation housing unit.
8.

As part of the conspiracy, and during the forcible escort of

Mr. Earvin from the residential housing unit to the segregation housing
unit, Defendants SHEFFLER, HEDDEN, and BANTA assaulted Mr.
Earvin without legal justification while he was restrained and
handcuffed behind his back and while he posed no physical threat to the
defendants or other correctional officers. The assault resulted in bodily
injury to Mr. Earvin, including multiple broken ribs, a punctured colon,
and other serious internal injuries, and further resulted in Mr. Earvin's
death.
All in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 241 and
2.

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COUNT2
(Deprivation of Civil Rights)
THE GRAND JURY CHARGES:
1.

The allegations in paragraphs 1 through of 5 of Count 1 are

incorporated by reference.
2.

On or about May 17, 2018, in Brown County, in the Central

District of Illinois, the defendants,

TODD SHEFFLER, WILLIE HEDDEN, and ALEX BANTA,
while acting under color of law of the State of Illinois and while aided
and abetted by each other, did willfully injure, oppress, threaten and
intimidate Larry Earvin, an inmate at WICC, in the free exercise and
enjoyment of the rights and privileges secured to him by the
Constitution and laws of the United States, namely, the right to be free
from cruel and unusual punishment. Specifically, Defendants

SHEFFLER, HEDDEN, and BANTA assaulted Mr. Earvin without
legal justification while he was restrained and handcuffed behind his
back and while he posed no physical threat to the defendants or other
correctional officers. Defendant SHEFFLER, the lieutenant and most
senior officer, also willfully failed to intervene to protect Mr. Earvin
from being assaulted by subordinate officers, namely, Defendants
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HEDDEN and BANTA, despite having the opportunity to do so, and
Defendant HEDDEN, the sergeant and senior officer to Defendant

BANTA, willfully failed to intervene to protect Mr. Earvin from being
assaulted by a subordinate officer, namely, Defendant BANTA despite
having the opportunity to do so. The assault resulted in bodily injury to
Mr. Earvin, including multiple broken ribs, a punctured colon, and
other serious internal injuries, and further resulted in Mr. Earvin's
death.
All in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 242 and
2.

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COUNT3
(Conspiracy to Engage in Misleading Conduct)
1.

The allegations in paragraphs 1 through of 5 of Count 1 are

incorporated by reference.

The Conspiracy
2.

From on or about May 17, 2018, and continuing until on or

about May 22, 2018, in the Central District of Illinois and elsewhere,
the defendants,

TODD SHEFFLER, WILLIE HEDDEN, and ALEX BANTA,
did knowingly combine, conspire, confederate and agree to engage in
misleading conduct toward another person with the intent to hinder
and prevent the communication to a federal law enforcement officer or
judge of the United States of information relating to the commission or
possible commission of a federal offense, namely, the offenses charged
in Counts 1 and 2 of this indictment.

Manner and Means (including Overt Acts) of the Conspiracy
3.

As part of the conspiracy, on or about May 17, 2018, and

following the assault of Mr. Earvin, Defendants SHEFFLER, HEDDEN,

and BANTA each filed knowingly false incident reports with WICC,
falsely describing the escort of Mr. Earvin to the segregation housing
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unit and failing to disclose any assault of Mr. Earvin. These false
reports included Defendants HEDDEN and BANTA using identical
false language, falsely stating that Mr. Earvin was delivered to staff in
the segregation housing unit "without further incident" other than Mr.
Earvin resisting the escort and refusing to walk.
4.

It was part of the conspiracy that following the assault of

Mr. Earvin, Defendants SHEFFLER, HEDDEN, and BANTA knowingly
misled agents of the Illinois State Police during individual interviews
about the escort of Mr. Earvin by falsely denying any knowledge of any
assault of Mr. Earvin that the defendants participated in and
witnessed.
All in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1512(k)
and 1512(b)(3).

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COUNT4
(Obstruction - Falsification of Document)
THE GRAND JURY CHARGES:
On or about May 17, 2018, in Brown County, in the Central
District of Illinois, the defendant,

TODD SHEFFLER,
during and in relation to and in contemplation of a matter within the
jurisdiction of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, an agency of the
United States, knowingly falsified a document with the intent to
impede, obstruct, and influence the investigation and proper
administration of the matter within federal jurisdiction. Specifically,
Defendant SHEFFLER falsified an incident report concerning the
escort of Mr. Earvin and omitted any reference to the assault of Mr.
Earvin that Defendant SHEFFLER participated in and witnessed.
All in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1519.

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COUNT5
(Obstruction - Misleading Conduct)
THE GRAND JURY CHARGES:
On or about May 18, 2018, in Brown County, in the Central
District of Illinois, the defendant,

TODD SHEFFLER,
knowingly engaged in misleading conduct toward another person with
the intent to hinder, delay, and prevent the communication to a federal
law enforcement officer and judge of the United States of information
relating to the commission and possible commission of the federal
offenses charged in Counts 1 and 2 of this indictment. Specifically,
Defendant SHEFFLER knowingly and intentionally misled agents of
the Illinois State Police during an interview about the escort of Mr.
Earvin by falsely denying any knowledge of any assault of Mr. Earvin
that Defendant SHEFFLER participated in and witnessed.
All in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1512(b)(3).

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COUNT6
(Obstruction - Falsification of Document)
On or about May 17, 2018, in Brown County, in the Central
District of Illinois, the defendant,

WILLIE HEDDEN,
during and in relation to and in contemplation of a matter within the
jurisdiction of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, an agency of the
United States, knowingly falsified a document with the intent to
impede, obstruct, and influence the investigation and proper
administration of the matter within federal jurisdiction. Specifically,
Defendant HEDDEN falsified an incident report concerning the escort
of Mr. Earvin and omitted any reference to the assault of Mr. Earvin
that Defendant HEDDEN participated in and witnessed.
All in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1519.

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COUNT7
(Obstruction - Misleading Conduct)
THE GRAND JURY CHARGES:
On or about May 18, 2018, in Brown County, in the Central
District of Illinois, the defendant,

WILLIE HEDDEN,
knowingly engaged in misleading conduct toward another person with
the intent to hinder, delay, and prevent the communication to a federal
law enforcement officer and judge of the United States of information
relating to the commission and possible commission of the federal
offenses charged in Counts 1 and 2 of this indictment. Specifically,
Defendant HEDDEN knowingly and intentionally misled agents of the
Illinois State Police during an interview about the escort of Mr. Earvin
by falsely denying any knowledge of any assault of Mr. Earvin that
Defendant HEDDEN participated in and witnessed.
All in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1512(b)(3).

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COUNTS
(Obstruction - Destruction of Record or Other Object
and Misleading Conduct)
THE GRAND JURY CHARGES:
On or about May 18, 2018, in Brown County, in the Central
District of Illinois, the defendant,

WILLIE HEDDEN,
knowingly and corruptly persuaded another person with the intent to
cause and induce such person to withhold a record or other object and to
destroy and conceal such object from an official proceeding and
knowingly engaged in misleading conduct toward another person with
the intent to hinder, delay, and prevent the communication to a law
enforcement officer or judge of the United States of information relating
to the commission or possible commission of the federal offenses
charged in Counts 1 and 2 of this indictment. Specifically, Defendant

HEDDEN corruptly persuaded his friend, a fellow employee at WICC,
to delete a text message Defendant HEDDEN sent to the friend
following the incident on May 17, 2018, in which text message
Defendant HEDDEN admitted to involvement in the assault of Mr.
Earvin.
All in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1512(b).
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COUNT9
(Obstruction- Falsification of Document)
On or about May 17, 2018, in Brown County, in the Central
District of Illinois, the defendant,

ALEX BANTA,
during and in relation to and in contemplation of a matter within the
jurisdiction of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, an agency of the
United States, knowingly falsified a document with the intent to
impede, obstruct, and influence the investigation and proper
administration of the matter within federal jurisdiction. Specifically,
Defendant BANTA falsified an incident report concerning the escort of
Mr. Earvin and omitted any reference to the assault of Mr. Earvin that
Defendant BANTA participated in and witnessed.
All in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1519.

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COUNT 10
(Obstruction - Misleading Conduct)
THE GRAND JURY CHARGES:
On or about May 18, 2018, in Brown County, in the Central
District of Illinois, the defendant,

ALEX BANTA,
knowingly engaged in misleading conduct toward another person with
the intent to hinder, delay, and prevent the communication to a federal
law enforcement officer and judge of the United States relating to the
commission and possible commission of the federal offenses charged in
Counts 1 and 2 of this indictment. Specifically, Defendant BANTA
knowingly and intentionally misled agents of the Illinois State Police
during an interview about the escort of Mr. Earvin by falsely denying
any knowledge of any assault of Mr. Earvin that Defendant BANTA
participated in and witnessed.

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A11 in Violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1512(b)(3).

I I I 
3/ Gregory M. Gilmore


United States Attorney
TAB

A4.

0

A TRUE BILL.

s/ Foreper?on

FOREPERSON