5 PRISON GUARDS INDICTED IN INMATE RAPE,COVER-UP

Crime: A prisoner was housed with a known rapists, allegedly in retribution
for kicking a guard.

Sacramento-A grand jury indicated five prison guards Thursday on charges of
arranging or covering up the rape of one inmate by another at Corcoran State
Prison.

One of the officers also was accused of setting up the rape of a second
prisoner.

State Attorney General's Office spokesman Rob Stutzman said a Kings County
grand jury handed up an eight-count indictment accusing officers of setting
up the rapes to punish the inmates.

The five defendants turned themselves into to authorities at the Kings
County Jail in Hanford. After being booked they were released on their own
recognizance pending arraignment.

The Attorney General's Office scheduled a news conference for this morning
in Sacramento to discuss the allegations.

One of the attacks allegedly occurred in March 1993, when guards place
inmate Eddie Dillard in the cell of Wayne Jerome Robertson, a 6-foot-3,
230-pound prisoner with a history of prison rapes. The guards were
reportedly angry because the 120 pound Dillard had kicked a female officer.

Robertson reportedly told state agents last year that he received extra food
and tennis shoes from staff an payment for the attack.

The 10-page indictment accuses Sgts. Robert Decker, 40, and Dale Brakebill,
33, and officers Joe Sanchez, 37, and Anthony Sylva, 35, of placing Dillard
in Robertson's cell, even though Dillard had told prison officials that
Robertson was his enemy.

A fifth officer, Lt. Jeffrey Jones, is accused of helping to cover up the
attack.

Decker is also charged with using force or threats to try to keep Dillard
from discussing the attack, with preparing false documentary evidence and
with setting up the rape of a second prisoner, Melvin Davis, by Robertson in
June 1993.

Authorities say that testimony by a former guard, Roscoe Poindexter, helped
in getting the indictments. Poindexter described how fellow officers put
Dillard in Robertson's cell even though they knew he probably would be
raped.

Corcoran, about 40 miles south of Fresno, has been rocked by a series of
allegations that guards mistreated inmates.

Checked-by: Don Beck