Former St. Croix Correctional Officers Convicted for Inmate Assault and Cover-Up

In a significant legal ruling at the John A. Bell Correctional Facility in St. Croix, two ex-correctional officers were found guilty of assaulting an inmate and impeding an FBI probe. United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced the conviction of Maxwell Bryan, 53, and Elvin Bloice, 72, after a jury deliberated for eight days.

Maxwell Bryan was convicted of violating an inmate’s rights through physical assault, while both he and Elvin Bloice were found guilty of obstructing justice. Additionally, Bloice was convicted of making false statements to the FBI.

The evidence presented at trial detailed an incident on September 17, 2021, where Bryan assaulted an inmate who had refused to re-enter his cell. Bryan struck the inmate twice on the forehead and choked him. Throughout the assault, Bloice was seen partially obscuring the cell’s door, presumably to block surveillance footage.

This assault was reportedly a retaliation for an earlier dispute on August 23, 2021, when the same inmate had damaged Bryan’s vehicle by kicking its door.

Post-assault, Bryan and Bloice composed and submitted fabricated incident reports in an attempt to conceal the wrongdoing. Bloice also lied about the incident during an FBI interview conducted on October 4, 2021.

United States Attorney Smith reiterated the dedication of her office to protecting the civil and constitutional rights of all individuals, emphasizing that abuses of power would not be tolerated. “This case underlines our resolve to prosecute Color of Law violations robustly, ensuring that no individual misuses their authority at the expense of another’s rights,” she stated.

The investigation was carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with Deputy Chief Forrest Christian of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division providing additional support. United States Attorneys Evan Rikhye and Dan Huston led the prosecution efforts.