PHILADELPHIA, PA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero has announced the arrest and indictment of Ivory S. Cousins, a 35-year-old correctional officer from West Deptford, New Jersey.
Cousins is charged with multiple offenses, including violating the constitutional rights of an inmate at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia.
The charges stem from an incident in August 2019, where Cousins allegedly ignored the serious injuries of an inmate who had been assaulted by other inmates.
According to the indictment, Cousins displayed deliberate indifference to the inmate’s medical needs, failed to secure medical attention, and even obstructed a superior officer from discovering the inmate’s injuries.
Further allegations in the indictment include Cousins using excessive force by pepper spraying the injured inmate and assisting another inmate in stealing the victim’s personal belongings. Cousins is also accused of providing false information in her report, claiming the injured inmate was aggressive and had used a weapon.
If convicted on all charges, Cousins faces a maximum possible sentence of 41 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $1 million, and a $400 special assessment.
