Ex-ICE officer pleads guilty to sexually abusing immigrant in custody
Former ICE officer pleads guilty to abusing detainee at processing center
- A former detention officer, David Courvelle, 56, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a Nicaraguan woman detainee at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center.
- Courvelle engaged in sexual contact with the woman on multiple occasions between May and July, smuggling gifts and arranging lookouts to avoid detection.
- He resigned a few weeks after being caught with the detainee; he initially denied the relationship when interviewed by investigators.
- Courvelle faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, with his sentencing scheduled for April 10.
- This case emerges amidst a surge in reports of abuse and neglect within US Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, many of which are run by private contractors.