See the prison sentences of each ex-Mississippi officer connected to the 'Goon Squad'

Six former Mississippi sheriff's deputies who were connected to the "Goon Squad" have all been sentenced for their involvement in the torture and abuse of two Black men, Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker.

U.S. District Court Judge Tom Lee concluded handing down lengthy prison terms to Hunter Elward, Jeffrey Middleton, Christian Dedmon, Daniel Opdyke, Brett McAlpin and Joshua Hartfield by Thursday afternoon.

All but Hartfield served with the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office. Hartfield served with the city of Richland.

The sentences imposed on each former officer is listed below.

How many years was the sentence for Hunter Elward?

Elward, 31, was sentenced to 20 years federal prison in connection to the abuse and torture of Jenkins and Parker.

Before imposing the sentence, the judge called Elward’s crimes “egregious and despicable” and stated a sentence “at the top of the guidelines range is justified, more than justified.”

“It’s what the defendant deserves. It’s what the community and the defendant’s victims deserve,” Lee said in the courtroom Tuesday morning.

How many years was the sentence for Jeffrey Middleton?

Middleton, the 46-year-old alleged leader of the "Goon Squad," was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison for his involvement in the abuse and torture of Jenkins and Parker.

Lee said he had "no hesitation" in concluding that Middleton's actions called for a sentence at the top of the guideline range.

“During Mr. Elward’s sentence hearing, he expressed what I believe was genuine remorse for his actions. It might be acknowledged that he was fully accountable for his actions. (Elward) like Mr. Opdyke traced his involvement in the brutality inflicted on the victims in this case and also to other victims, to you and McAlpin,” Lee said to the courtroom Tuesday afternoon.

How many years was the sentence for Daniel Opdyke?

Opdyke, 28, was sentenced to 17.5 years in federal prison by Lee for participating in the abuse and torture of two Black men.

Jeffery Reynolds, Opdyke's attorney, requested Wednesday morning for the ex-officer's sentence to be lowered to seven years from the maximum range of 17.5 years for his “minimum” involvement in the crime. This request was not granted.

"Mr. Opdyke, I don’t doubt that you were subjected to the corrupted influence of your superiors. … You may not have been fully aware of what the Goon Squad was about when you decided to join, but you knew it involved the use of excessive force and tactics … prior to the January 24 attack on Mr. Parker and Mr. Jenkins," Lee stated.

How many years was the sentence for Christian Dedmon?

Dedmon, 29, received the longest sentence of all involved former "Goon Squad" officers — 40 years in federal prison.

Dedmon devised the scheme to cover up the involved officers' misconduct. He also fired his gun during the January 2023 incident, attempting to intimidate the victims.

“You, Mr. Dedmon, committed the most egregious act. … That doesn’t mean the most egregious conduct of all the defendants (in) this case, but the most shocking, brutal and cruel acts imaginable. And you deserve to be punished for it,” Lee said in the courtroom Wednesday afternoon.

Jenkins, via a statement read by his lawyer Malik Shabazz, told the court that the incident will “forever engraved” in his mind and heart.

“(Jan. 24) brings back bad memories for me. Deputy Dedmon is the worst example of a police officer in the United States of America. Deputy Dedmon was the most aggressive, most vicious, sickest and wickedest of those who attacked me,” Jenkins said.

How many years was the sentence for Brett McAlpin?

McAlpin, 53, who was the highest-ranking deputy on the scene of the January 24, 2023, incident, was sentenced to 27.25 years in prison.

McAlpin was chief investigator at the time, court testimony revealed.

“His rank provided control over his co-conspirators,” Lee said. “He directed the actions of various people.”

Prosecutor Christopher Perras described McAlpin as the “mafia don” of the group who set the assault in motion after he took a phone call from a resident, who reported “suspicious activity.”

Perras stated McAlpin did not need to be extremely hands-on in the incident because McAlpin had “a bunch of dirty officers to do his work for him.”

“While the victims were screaming in pain, he was urinating in a closet … to further degrade the occupants of the house,” Perras stated in the courtroom Thursday afternoon.

How many years was the sentence for Joshua Hartfield?

Hartfield, 32, the last person connected to the 'Goon Squad' and a former Richland police officer, was handed down the shortest sentence of 10 years.

Judge Lee took five minutes of deliberating outside the presence of the courtroom Thursday afternoon before the sentencing was imposed. This was the only time in the sentencings that Lee did not impose a sentence right away.

Lee said he was "conflicted" on whether to impose a maximum sentence at the top of the guidelines of 151 months for Hartfield. Lee stated that after taking into consideration all of the facts and character letters he has received about Hartfield, he looks at Hartfield "in a different light."

"You weren't a member of the Goon Squad, the Rankin County department nor the text thread. You had no knowledge of what was planned or likely to occur at the home. Christian Dedmon told you it would be a knock and talk. It's clear to me that out of everyone involved that you are the least involved and least culpable," Lee said to the courtroom. "You've acknowledged and admitted you participated. You don't have a history or demonstrated history of excessive force, and you seemed to have landed in something you didn't anticipate."

Hartfield had discarded hard drive footage of the incident by throwing the hard drive into a creek.

"You didn't just fail to intervene, but you actively participated. And for that you deserve to be punished," Lee added.

What did Sheriff Bryan Bailey say about officers' sentencings?

A common theme throughout each sentencing was how several of the deputies' attorneys said their clients became enmeshed in a corrupt culture that was permitted and encouraged by leaders within the sheriff’s office. Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey falls at the top of the leadership ranks.

Bailey issued a statement via press release an hour after the last sentencing was given. Bailey's statement reads as follows:

"Everyone in Rankin County, whether a resident or visitor, should be able to live, work, play, and conduct their life without the fear of having their constitutional rights violated. In January of 2023, criminal conduct by individual former deputies injured citizens in our county and undermined the reputation of the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department. Because the safety and security of everyone in Rankin County is a primary concern for this department, we fully cooperated with all investigative and prosecutorial efforts by federal and state officials. As a result of those efforts, these former deputies are being held accountable for their actions," Bailey said.

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"Every law enforcement officer takes an oath to serve his/her community. Safeguarding lives and property and protecting the weak and innocent from deception, intimidation, and violence are just a few objectives of our deputies," Bailey added. "Violations of established rules and regulations will not be tolerated by this department, and anyone who violates the law will be brought to justice.

"As the duly elected and acting Sheriff of Rankin County, I will remain committed to the betterment of this county and this sheriff’s department moving forward. Together with the honest, hard-working men and women currently with this department, we will strive daily to make this community a safer and more secure place to live for everyone," the statement concluded.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Goon Squad Mississippi prison sentences: What to know