Macon State Prison Officers Indicted for Assaulting Inmates, Former UGA Football Coach Facing Federal Charges for Ponzi Scheme

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Eight former or current Macon State Prison officers are facing formal charges of conspiracy to assault inmates and civil rights violations.

The Middle Georgia District U.S. Attorney, Michael Moore, says the indictment was handed down Monday. It alleges Deputy Warden James Hinton and seven members of the Correctional Emergency Response Team, Christopher Hall, Ronald Lach, Jr., Delton Rushin, Kerry Bolden, Derrick Wimbush, Kadarius Thomas, and Tyler Griffin, assaulted four prisoners back in 2010 after the inmates allegedly assaulted officers.

It also says the defendants tried to cover it up by writing false reports and giving misinformation to investigators.

“On the way to medical, the members stopped in a location that was not covered by the surveillance system and beat the inmates, some severely set out in the indictment,” Moore said.

The defendants are facing 23 counts of civil rights violations and several obstruction charges. They are scheduled to make their first appearance next week in federal court.

Moore also announced the federal indictment of a former UGA head football coach and his Ohio business partner for allegedly operating a ponzi scheme.

Moore says James Donnan of Athens and Gregory Crabtree of Ohio ran the scheme between 2008 and 2010 in the Middle Georgia district. The indictment says their business, GLC Limited, Inc., offered and sold short term investments, promising investors anywhere from 50 to 200 percent on their money.

Moore says Donnan and Crabtree raised $81 million from 94 investors. According to the indictment, Donnan pocketed $8.5 million from the scheme and Crabtree profited $1.6 million.

Crabtree and Donnan were scheduled for an initial appearance Tuesday afternoon.