5 Harrison Co. jailers sentenced for inmate abuse

Published 4:53 pm Tuesday, November 6, 2007

A federal judge on Monday sentenced four former correction officers to varying prison sentences while a fifth received house arrest and probation in connection with their guilty pleas to federal conspiracy charges related to the abuse of inmates at the Harrison County jail.

U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola Jr. issued the sentences. The remaining former jailers were scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday in Gulfport.

Sentenced were: Regina Rhodes, 18 months; Morgan Thompson, 48 months; Jeffery Priest, 21 months; Karl Stolze, 15 months and Timothy Brandon Moore received 4 months house arrest and 5 years probation.

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Moore quit his job in disgust over jail practices, which prompted Guirola to forego jail time for him.

The former jailers will remain free until Jan. 14, 2008. They pleaded guilty and cooperated with federal prosecutors during a sweeping investigation prompted by allegations of abuse and the beating death of an inmate.