CAMDEN COUNTY, Ga. — A former Camden County Sheriff’s Office deputy sheriff and jail corporal has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for assaulting a pretrial detainee in 2022.
Ryan Robert Biegel, now 27, of Kingsland, Georgia, pleaded guilty on Jan. 28 to using unreasonable force against the detainee, according to a news release from the Department of Justice.
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Action News Jax first told you in November 2022 about the release of a video showing the September 2022 beating of Jarrett Hobbs from Greensboro, North Carolina, in the Camden County Jail.
The DOJ said the incident occurred on September 3, 2022, when Biegel and two other correctional officers entered the holding cell where Hobbs was detained.
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We also told you in November 2022 when Biegel, Mason Garrick, and Braxton Massey were charged with battery of an inmate and violating the oath of office. In May 2023, the three men were indicted by a grand jury in Camden County.
The DOJ said Biegel admitted to punching Hobbs five times in the back of the head, acknowledging that it was not reasonable or necessary for a legitimate law enforcement purpose.
Biegel further struck Hobbs in the head and body an additional twenty-two times with his fists and knees, the DOJ said.
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The FBI Brunswick Resident Agency Field Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation investigated the assault.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer J. Kirkland for the Southern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
The Camden County Sheriff’s Office responded to our request for comment:
“Biegel, who is no longer employed with this agency, acted outside the values, policies, and professional standards of the Sheriff’s Office. His actions do not reflect the integrity or mission of this agency.”
“The safety of our staff, inmates, and the public is our top priority,” said Sheriff Kevin Chaney. “Accountability applies to everyone—including law enforcement. We remain committed to transparency and upholding the public’s trust.”
Action News Jax has also reached out to Hobbs’ attorney, Harry Daniels, for comment on the sentencing.
