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The United States Attorney's Office
Eastern District of Kentucky
PRESS RELEASE
July 5, 2007
LEXINGTON, Ky. — A former corrections officer at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) located in Lexington, Ky., Michael Stephen Leigh, was indicted today by a federal grand jury for charges of sexual abuse of a ward and sexual abuse by threatening.
The indictment alleges that Leigh, 36, of Owingsville, Ky., knowingly engaged in or attempted to engage in sexual relations with a female inmate at FMC, while she was under his supervision and disciplinary authority, sometime between December 2006 and May 2007.
It also alleges that sometime between March 2007 and May 2007, Leigh threatened the inmate in order to engage in sexual relations with him.
If convicted on both counts, Leigh faces up to life in prison, a fine of $250,000, and supervised release for up to five years. However, any sentence following conviction will be imposed by the Court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and applicable federal statutes.
Amul R. Thapar, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Tracy A. Reinhold, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, jointly made the announcement after the indictment was returned.
The investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The indictment was presented to the Grand Jury by Assistant United States Attorney David A. Marye.
Leigh’s appearance before the United States District Court has not yet been set by the Court in Lexington, Ky.
The indictment of a person by a grand jury is an accusation only, that person is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.