() – On August 5th, a federal grand jury indicted two former Augusta State Medical Prison Correctional Officers.

Authorities say Robert Roberson and Marcus Phillips neglected a fire which resulted in an inmate’s death.

The indictment further charges Roberson with falsifying a logbook to cover up his actions.

The indictment claims that on October 28th, 2020, Roberson and Phillips learned of a smoldering fire in an inmate’s cell. Instead of extinguishing the fire, evacuating the inmate, dispersing the smoke, or announcing a fire emergency over the radio, they neglected the significant risk of harm by leaving the inmate in his locked cell for hours, ultimately resulting in his death from smoke inhalation.

The FBI Augusta Resident Agency is investigating the case.