Waupun warden, 8 staff members charged following investigation into inmate deaths

DODGE COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) – The warden of a correctional institution found himself in jail Wednesday along with eight of his employees.

After four inmate deaths in two years, nine people from the Waupun Correctional Institution are facing criminal charges.

"These people were not cared for, and they are people, and they were not cared for at Waupun Correctional Institution, and we're going to hold those responsible accountable," Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt said.

During a press conference Wednesday, Sheriff Schmidt shared that after months of investigating the deaths at the prison, nine employees are facing felony charges.

"[The inmate] was dead in his cell for over 12 hours until they located him the next morning," Schmidt said about one of the deaths.

The charges stem from neglect found during the investigation, like not providing inmates with necessary medical attention, not checking on them regularly, and in one case, not feeding an inmate and not taking proper hunger strike protocols to monitor said inmate.

"Correctional officers failed to feed the decedent nine out of 12 meals over a four-day period," Schmidt explained.

The deaths occurred between June of 2023 and February 2024. The medical examiner determined one was a suicide, one a drug overdose, one a natural death by stroke, and one a homicide based on malnutrition and dehydration.

"Security staff notified nursing staff that the decedent had not eaten food for a couple of days, was drinking sewage water, and played in the toilet," Schmidt told media.

The nine people charged include correctional officers, nurses, and the warden. They are facing abuse of residents of penal facilities or misconduct in public office, and in some cases, both.

"We are operating the oldest prison in the state of Wisconsin in a dangerous and reckless manner," Schmidt said.

The sheriff suggested charges to the Wisconsin penal system to prevent future deaths. His suggestions include renovating or replacing the Waupun and Green Bay prisons and creating a uniform expectation for the operation of all state prisons through the Legislature.

"Four is four too many," Schmidt said.

The Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) is investigating the prison and reports that over 30 people remain under internal investigation. Schmidt told reporters Wednesday that the DOC investigation is separate from the one his department conducted.

"Those are not criminal investigations," he said. "Those investigations are personnel-related investigations that they now must do."

The DOC released a statement about the sheriff's findings, saying in part:

"At this time, all nine of these individuals against whom criminal charges have now been filed are either no longer employed at the department or are on unpaid administrative leave. Prior to these charges, warden excluded, all of these individuals were either under ongoing DOC internal investigation or had been placed on administrative leave or terminated based upon DOC’s internal investigations."

They also addressed the status of their investigation:

"We anticipate additional individuals will be placed on administrative leave, may be terminated, and potentially referred for criminal charges pending the conclusion of DOC’s internal or other law enforcement investigations, which remain ongoing."

According to the Dodge County district attorney, the nine people charged face a maximum penalty of three-and-a-half years if convicted: 18 months of initial confinement and two years of extended supervision.

No one is charged with homicide despite the findings from the medical examiner concluding one death as a homicide. The investigation found no intent to kill, and the medical examiner said the manner of death, as determined through an autopsy, is different from the criminal charge of homicide as determined by the district attorney.

Schmidt also addressed questions regarding the lockdown, or "modified movement," the prison was under by the DOC.

"I do not believe that the lockdowns have anything to do with any of these deaths," he said. "In fact, the lockdowns should have made it better for the accountability, ensuring the safety of this facility. Any narrative out there that the lockdowns are the cause of these deaths, I think is absolutely bogus. I did not see anything in these investigations that links the two at all."

The following individuals were arrested for the following offenses:

Abuse of Residents of Penal Facilities - Wisconsin Statute 940.29 - Class I Felony

· Gwendolyn Peachey (Vick) - Age 50 of Burnett - Registered Nurse

· Brandon Fisher - Age 29 of Fox Lake - Correctional Lieutenant – two counts

· Tanner Leopold - Age 27 of Waupun - Correctional Sergeant

· Jamall Russel - Age 39 of Beaver Dam - Correctional Officer

· Alexander Hollfelder - Age 31 of Waupun - Correctional Sergeant

· Jessica Hosfelt - Age 47 of Oshkosh - Registered Nurse

Misconduct in Public Office – Wisconsin Statute 946.12(1) – Class I Felony

· Jamall Russel - Age 39 of Beaver Dam - Correctional Officer

· Sarah Ransbottom - Age 35 of Oshkosh - Correctional Officer

· Jeramie Chalker - Age 41 of Brandon - Correctional Sergeant

· Randall Hepp – Waupun Correctional Institution Warden