Former Catahoula Prison Warden and Supervisors Indicted for Shocking 13 Handcuffed Inmates With Riot Shield

A former warden, assistant warden and three other supervisors at a Louisiana state prison were indicted May 8, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana on federal charges that they repeatedly used an electric riot shield to shock 13 handcuffed prisoners and then orchestrated a cover-up.

The indictment names former Catahoula Correctional Center Warden James “Butch” Marion, Assistant Warden David “Bubba” Mason, and supervisors Robert Sebren, Christopher “Chris” Lemoine and Jacob “Jake” Leggett. One additional former officer, Seth Bird, pleaded guilty to falsifying reports and related abuse charges as part of the same investigation.

The charged conduct affected 13 prisoners who were handcuffed at the time of the alleged shocks. The indictment details multiple instances in which supervisors directed line officers to use the riot shield’s electric function on restrained inmates and then instructed staff to omit the use of force from official reports.

Bird’s guilty plea confirms at least one falsified use-of-force report tied directly to an incident involving an electric shield.

The indictment replaces an earlier administrative review by state prison authorities with a federal criminal case. If convicted on the civil-rights and conspiracy counts listed, the defendants face statutory sentences that include prison time, supervised release and fines.

Sentencing cannot occur until after trial or further pleas; the case now shifts to pretrial proceedings in the Western District of Louisiana, where prosecutors must turn over discovery and defendants must appear for arraignment.

Downstream, the plea by Bird requires him to cooperate with the ongoing prosecution and provide testimony if called. The remaining five defendants must respond to the indictment within 14 days under federal rules. The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, which investigated the case, will continue to monitor conditions at the facility.

Any pattern-or-practice findings could trigger separate negotiations for a consent decree governing future use-of-force policy at Catahoula and similar Louisiana prisons.

This indictment forms part of a broader Justice Department enforcement effort targeting misconduct by correctional supervisors. The department has previously secured convictions against prison staff in other Louisiana facilities for similar civil-rights violations involving excessive force and falsified documentation.

The original allegations surfaced through internal whistleblower reports forwarded to federal investigators in 2024.