Former DJJ officer pleads guilty to hogtying 2 juveniles on New Year’s Day

A former officer at the Department of Juvenile Justice has pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of deprivation of civil rights, U.S Attorney Beth Drake said in a news release.

Nicole Jenice Samples, 35, was accused of “hogtying” two juveniles as punishment for making noise on New Year’s Day 2017. The two juveniles were left face down on their stomachs, in their restraints, for more than two hours, Drake said.

Samples is accused of ordering subordinate correctional officers to apply mechanical restraints to the two juveniles, then connect the leg restraints to the hand restraints, which is known as “hogtying.” DJJ policy forbids that kind of restraint on any juveniles, Drake said at the time charges were brought in June.

Samples will be sentenced at a future date, after U.S. District Judge Mary Lewis has studied the presentencing report. Samples could face 20 years in prison as well as a fine of $250,000 and three years probation upon release from prison, Drake said.

In June, when Samples was charged, S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster called the allegations “appalling” and said the charges against her show that “any effort to abuse a position of authority that puts the safety and rights of others in jeopardy will not be tolerated and will be met with swift and just action.”

Samples was an assistant unit manager who was hired Nov. 3, 2014, according to DJJ Director of Public Affairs Patrick Montgomery. She was suspended without pay Jan. 13 and fired Feb. 2, 2017.

This story was originally published September 27, 2017 at 4:21 PM with the headline "Former DJJ officer pleads guilty to hogtying 2 juveniles on New Year’s Day."