Former Folsom prison guard convicted of inmate death cover-up
SACRAMENTO - A former state correctional officer from North Highlands was convicted Wednesday in an investigation into her signing off on a series of false reports after an inmate who was assaulted died, the Department of Justice announced.
Brenda Villa, 32, was a state correctional sergeant supervising officers at the New Folsom State Prison.
Court documents show correctional officer Arturo Pacheco assaulted an inmate under color of law, leading to several California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officers to respond, the DOJ said.
The inmate was taken to the hospital where the inmate died two days later.
Villa directed the preparation of a series of reports about the incident that she knew were false because they did not mention that another correctional officer witnessed the assault, prosecutors said, despite Villa observing the witness at the scene.
Villa instructed that the witness's name be removed from another person's report, prosecutors said.
Authorities said the witness's draft report describing Pacheco's unjustified use of force was never collected and it was not part of the official record of the incident.
Villa then later signed off on the series of reports.
The CDCR began an investigation and a federal grand jury began investigating federal crimes.
In November 2020, Villa was called to testify about her role and the actions of the other officers in covering up the assault. Prosecutors said she lied under oath.
Former correctional officers Pacheco and Ashley Aurich pled guilty and were sentenced to more than 12 years in prison.
In July 2023, Villa was found guilty of perjury in connection with a federal grand jury investigation into the assault. A prior jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on additional conspiracy and falsification of records count and a retrial was requested, which concluded Wednesday.
A date for Villa to be sentenced has not been set yet. She faces up to five years in prison for the count of conspiracy and the count of perjury. She faces up to 20 years for each count of falsification of records.