NATCHEZ — Three people have been indicted on federal charges of conspiracy to commit murder related to the 2012 deadly prison riot in Natchez.

Federal prosecutors say in a news release Friday that Hector Miguel Diaz-Osuna, Ricardo Gonzalez-Porras and Jesus Beltran-Rodriguez were indicted by a grand jury. Prosecutors say Gonzalez-Porras is also charged with assaulting a prison guard.

Two other defendants, Juan Geraldo Arredondo and Ernesto Granados, are charged in the indictment for rioting.

One guard was killed and 20 people were injured in the May 20, 2012, riot at the privately-run Adams County Correctional Facility in Natchez, which holds immigrants convicted of crimes while being in the U.S. illegally.

Court records show Beltran-Rodriguez is one of the inmates suspected of beating the guard, Catlin Carithers, who died.

Carithers’ brother, Josey, said his family was glad to learn of the latest indictments against inmates responsible for his brother’s death.

“We are glad to see that the justice system is working correctly,” Josey said. “No amount of justice will ever bring him back, or at the very least, ease the emotions that we feel, but we are happy to see the system is working.”

Carithers was killed after inmates climbed to the roof where he was deploying crowd-control gas and bludgeoned him with a blunt object.

Other guards were injured and taken hostage during the riot, as well as a number of inmates, and the prison sustained an estimated $1.3 million worth of damage.

Prison officials later said approximately 700 of the nearly 2,500 inmates housed at ACCC participated in the nearly seven hours of violence and looting.

Most of the inmates the prison holds are convicted on charges of coming back to the U.S. after deportation for being in the country illegally. The prison is owned by Nashville, Tennessee-based Corrections Corporation of America, one of the nation’s largest private prison companies.

Several other inmates have been charged — or convicted — with participating in the riot.

Gerson Benavides was sentenced Thursday in federal court to 75 months imprisonment. Benavides was previously convicted of rioting at the Adams County Correctional Facility. Benavides was also ordered to pay restitution of $1.3 million.

Humberto Cuellar was sentenced Thursday 110 months imprisonment. He also was previously convicted of rioting. He also was ordered to pay restitution of $1.3 million.

 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.