UPDATE: Second former Bibb jail deputy sentenced in 2023 inmate assault
Barnes was sentenced to 20 years, with the first seven years in prison, after being convicted on four charges.
UPDATE (10/27/26): A jury has convicted former Bibb County jail deputy Quency Barnes in connection with the May 2023 beating of a woman in his custody, according to the Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office.
The jury found Barnes guilty Friday of aggravated assault, battery, cruelty to an inmate and violation of oath by a public officer.
Barnes was sentenced to 20 years, with the first seven years to serve in prison. Prosecutors had requested the maximum sentence of 28 years in prison.
The district attorney’s office says Barnes and former deputy Frederick Ogletree were escorting the woman to court when they ordered her to remove a religious head covering. Prosecutors say the deputies punched, tased and kicked her before dragging her by the collar to another housing block.
Ogletree pleaded guilty in August and was sentenced to 20 years, with the first 10 years to serve in custody.
Frederick Ogletree (Credit: Bibb County Sheriff’s Office)
ORIGINAL STORY (8/18/26):
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A former Bibb County jail deputy was sentenced to 20 years after pleading guilty to assaulting a female inmate in 2023, according to the Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office.
The office said in a news release Tuesday that Frederick Ogletree pleaded guilty Monday to aggravated assault, violation of oath by a public officer, battery and cruelty to an inmate. The non-negotiated plea came just before his trial was scheduled to begin.
A judge sentenced Ogletree to 20 years, with the first 10 to serve. Prosecutors had requested a 40-year sentence, with 20 to serve.
The charges stemmed from a May 2023 assault at the Bibb County Jail on Oglethorpe Street.
According to prosecutors, Ogletree and another deputy were escorting the woman to a court appearance when they ordered her to remove a religious head covering.
Prosecutors said the other deputy struck the woman after she protested and pointed at him. They say both deputies then choked and punched her, repeatedly used Tasers on her, forced her to the ground, kicked her in the head and threw her into a housing dorm.
The district attorney’s office said the deputies returned minutes later wearing gloves reinforced with hard knuckles. Prosecutors said they pulled the woman from the dorm and punched her again before dragging her by the collar to another block, striking her with her shoe and locking her in a cell.
As part of his sentence, Ogletree is prohibited from contacting the woman and possessing firearms. He is also permanently barred from working in law enforcement, security or any position responsible for protecting people or property.
“Frederick Ogletree took an oath to protect the people in his custody, and instead he beat a defenseless woman, tased her, and smiled about it afterward,” Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney Anita Howard said. “We asked the court for a sentence that reflected the brutality of what he did. This conviction permanently ends his career in law enforcement and holds him accountable. Our fight for justice for this woman is not over. We remain fully committed to prosecuting the other officer for his actions.”
The co-defendant’s trial was postponed before the jury was sworn in because of an issue involving improper communication by a juror, prosecutors said. In Tuesday’s release, the district attorney’s office did not identify the co-defendant or announce a new trial date.
Previous 41NBC reporting identified Quency Barnes as the other deputy arrested with Ogletree in June 2023 following an investigation into the use of force against a female inmate. The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office said both deputies resigned and were released on bond.
