A former Memphis police officer will serve 12 years in federal prison after entering a guilty plea for civil rights violations, U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz said Tuesday.
Former MPD officer Sam Blue pled guilty in January 2020 to conspiracy to violate civil rights by using force, violence and intimidation, along with conspiracy to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce. The charges stem from Blue, 63, being accused of giving out inside police information and equipment to a group of bandits who stalked and robbed drug dealers.
When Blue entered the guilty plea in 2020, David Pritchard, a federal prosecutor, told the court the group had identified Eric Cain as a target, tracked him by placing a GPS device on his car and used a blue police dashboard light to pull Cain over.
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According to Pritchard, the group had guns and uniforms with the word “police” on them.
The group handcuffed Cain, put a hood over his head and drove him to a house where they asked him where he kept drugs and money. When they were unsatisfied with Cain’s answers, the group began torturing the victim by beating and burning him, leaving with severe burns on several parts on his body, including his head and neck, the prosecution said.
When the group stepped away to take a call, Cain — still handcuffed and hooded — jumped out the window in an attempt to escape. He landed in the front of the house and the sight of the victim soon drew the attention of passerby on Reese Road, near Appling Road and I-40.
Blue told prosecutors in that 2020 hearing that he had supplied the kidnappers with the law enforcement code to Cain’s apartment complex. The prosecution did not say Blue was present for the kidnapping and torture, and Blue told the judge in that hearing he was not aware that one of the robberies would have led to Cain’s kidnapping and torture.
Prosecutors did say Blue conspired with groups to rob drug dealers of their drugs and proceeds between 2014 and 2018. Blue is said to have also offered home addresses, an official MPD badge, and a car dashboard blue light to allow the groups to appear as law enforcement.
Cain was hospitalized for a week in the burn unit due to his injuries and went through surgery.
In addition to the 12 years in prison, Blue will have three years of supervised release.
“Our citizens have a right to be policed by officers who follow the law,” Ritz said in a press release. “This officer abused his authority and violated others’ civil rights. He’ll now spend a significant time in federal prison. My hope is that this sentence sends a clear message that law enforcement officers who break the law will be held accountable.”
Investigative reporter Daniel Connolly welcomes tips and comments from the public. Reach him at 529-5296, daniel.connolly@commercialappeal.com, or on Twitter at @danielconnolly.
Lucas Finton is a news reporter for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached by email at Lucas.Finton@CommercialAppeal.com and followed on Twitter @LucasFinton.