Diff: Marquet Johnson
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'''Marquet Johnson''' is a former private prisoner transport officer convicted of sexually assaulting multiple women in his custody as pretrial detainees. His actions, deemed a violation of their civil rights, led to a federal indictment and subsequent guilty plea. |
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'''Marquet Johnson''' is a former private prisoner transport officer from West Memphis, Arkansas, who pleaded guilty to a federal civil rights crime after sexually assaulting a female pretrial detainee during a prisoner transport. In April 2024, he was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, five years of supervised release and sex-offender registration. |
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== Early Life and Career == |
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Little is known about Marquet Johnson's early life, including his date of birth. He worked as an officer for Inmate Services Corporation (ISC), a company responsible for transporting individuals arrested on out-of-state warrants to appropriate jurisdictions. |
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The case drew attention to the private prisoner transport industry, where private contractors move detainees between jurisdictions on behalf of law-enforcement agencies. |
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== Criminal Activities == |
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In 2019, Johnson perpetrated a series of sexual assaults against pretrial detainees while on duty. These incidents occurred over four months and involved coercion, rape, and forced oral sex. |
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== Employment == |
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Johnson worked for Inmate Services Corporation, a private company that transported people arrested on out-of-state warrants to the jurisdictions that issued those warrants. |
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==== Incidents ==== |
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The United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico described this work as a government function, because Johnson had custody of pretrial detainees while transporting them between jails and jurisdictions. |
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* July 2019: Johnson, along with his ISC partner, picked up a pretrial detainee in Spencer, Indiana, with the intention of transporting her to the Hays County Jail in San Marco, Texas. During a stop at the ISC headquarters in West Memphis, Arkansas, Johnson assaulted the detainee, forcing her to perform oral sex without consent. |
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* August 2019: Johnson and his partner transported a woman from Baker County, Oregon, to the Johnson County Jail in Warrensburg, Missouri. Johnson separated from his partner, took the woman to a hotel, and raped her before forcing her to perform oral sex. |
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* November 2019: Johnson raped another pretrial detainee in New Mexico while en route to a correctional centre in Delta County, Colorado. He threatened the victim with a weapon, coercing her into compliance before sexually assaulting her. |
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== 2019 Assaults == |
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According to the Justice Department, Johnson admitted that on 4 November 2019 he sexually assaulted a female pretrial detainee while transporting her from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to Delta County, Colorado. |
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=== Legal Proceedings === |
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In December 2021, Johnson pleaded guilty to violating the civil rights of one of the women he assaulted. His plea agreement implicated him in the sexual assaults of two other pretrial detainees in the months preceding the New Mexico incident. Johnson faces up to 30 years in prison for his crimes. |
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The plea materials also stated that Johnson admitted to sexually assaulting multiple other female pretrial detainees during prisoner transports in 2019. Federal officials said the women were in his custody and under his control during those journeys. |
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=== Response and Prosecution === |
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U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez condemned Johnson's actions, emphasising the importance of upholding the dignity and respect of all individuals, regardless of their legal status. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division reiterated the commitment to seeking justice for survivors of such heinous crimes. |
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== Guilty Plea == |
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Johnson pleaded guilty in December 2023 to violating a female pretrial detainee's civil rights. The plea was announced by the United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico. |
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The FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, in collaboration with the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, conducted the investigation into Johnson's crimes. |
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The prosecution said the case was investigated by the FBI's Albuquerque Field Office with assistance from the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office. |
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=== Aftermath === |
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Marquet Johnson's case serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of individuals in custody and underscores the need for stringent oversight and accountability measures within the criminal justice system. His conviction highlights the importance of addressing systemic issues to prevent similar abuses in the future. |
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== Sentencing == |
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On 16 April 2024, the Justice Department announced that Johnson, then aged 45, had been sentenced to 30 years in prison. The sentence also included five years of supervised release and a requirement to register as a sex offender. |
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Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said the sentence highlighted abuse risks in the private prisoner transport industry and the need for accountability when officers abuse people in custody. |
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== Wider Significance == |
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Johnson's case is significant because it involved sexual abuse by a private transport officer rather than a jail or prison guard working inside one facility. The victims were moved across state lines and had limited ability to seek help while restrained and dependent on the transport officers. |
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The case is also an example of federal civil rights prosecution where an officer acting under colour of law abused a person in custody. |
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== References == |
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* [https://www.justice.gov/usao-nm/pr/former-private-prisoner-transport-officer-pleads-guilty-federal-civil-rights-offense DOJ New Mexico: Marquet Johnson guilty plea] |
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* [https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/former-private-prisoner-transport-officer-sentenced-federal-civil-rights-offenses-sexually DOJ Office of Public Affairs: Marquet Johnson sentencing] |
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* [https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/former-private-prisoner-transport-officer-indicted-sexual-assault-and-use-firearm-furtherance DOJ Office of Public Affairs: Johnson indictment] |
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* [https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/prisoner-transport-guard-sentenced-to-30-years-for-raping-inmates/ KOB: Prisoner transport guard sentenced to 30 years] |
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[[Category:Crime]] |
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[[Category:United States]] |