Federal Inmate Sentenced to Additional 18+ Years for Assaulting Federal Officers

United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that
Demetri Goldsmith, 25, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell
to 220 months (18 years, 4 months) in prison for assaulting federal officers at the U.S.
Penitentiary in Pollock, Louisiana (“Pollock”). The U.S. Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”)
manages U.S. Penitentiaries around the country, including Pollock. The sentence imposed by
Judge Drell was an upward departure from the United States Sentencing Guidelines based on
the severity of Goldsmith’s lengthy criminal history.
Goldsmith was convicted by a federal jury in Alexandria, Louisiana, on November 8,
2023, following a trial. Goldsmith was incarcerated at Pollock for brandishing a firearm and
shooting a woman in the leg in 2016. Evidence introduced at trial revealed that on April 19,
2019, one of the female corrections officers at Pollock observed Goldsmith standing at his cell
door staring at her while performing lewd acts. This was a violation of BOP inmate behavior
policy and the female guard called for assistance with Goldsmith. Three other corrections
officers responded to Goldsmith’s cell and ordered him to put his hands through the slot in
the door in order to place handcuffs on him. Goldsmith refused and the officers opened the
cell door to place him in their custody. When they opened the door, however, Goldsmith
lunged at them with a prison shank. He stabbed two of the federal officers causing injury.
Officers were able to get Goldsmith in handcuffs and he celebrated the attack of the officers
by yelling numerous times that he had stabbed them. Goldsmith has a long history of violence
and bad behavior while in BOP custody.
“Being a correctional officer is a thankless job and is onerous on every level,” stated
U.S. Attorney Brown. “Some of the most dangerous individuals in this nation, prosecuted
federally, are housed at USP Pollock. Since Pollock is in our district, this office bears the
responsibility of partnering with the Bureau of Prisons to ensure the safety of every
employee. This individual violently attacked two officers and failed to take responsibility for
his actions. As a result, our trial team convicted him, and we are extremely pleased with the
Court’s decision to upward depart since this defendant fails to abide by societal and
institutional rules.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by
Assistant United States Attorneys Leon H. Whitten and Tennille Gilreath.