Former sheriff facing federal bribery charges also accused of leaving cell keys unsecured, allowing prisoners to break free and rape 2 other inmates, according to a New York Times investigation

• Former Sheriff Terry Grassaree has pleaded not guilty to charges of bribery and lying to the FBI.
• The New York Times reported Grassaree has a long history of excusing abuse or abusing inmates himself.

A former Mississippi sheriff who is currently facing federal bribery charges and is accused of lying to the FBI oversaw a county jail rampant with allegations of inmate abuse, court documents reveal.

Terry Grassaree — who last year was indicted by a federal grand jury alongside one of his deputies — either turned a blind eye to inmates being abused or abused them himself for almost a decade as the leader of rural Noxubee County jail, an investigation by The New York Times found.

Grassarree has pleaded not guilty to the charges of bribery and lying to investigators. A 2008 lawsuit stemming from allegations of abuse has been settled for an undisclosed amount.

In one incident, according to statements provided to state investigators and reviewed by the Times, two female inmates said they were raped by male prisoners who had escaped from their cells using unsecured keys that Grassaree and his staff left openly hanging on a wall.

Grassaree pressured one of the women into signing a false statement in an attempt to cover up the crime, one of the victims alleged in a sworn statement given to state investigators, per the Times investigation.

But the sheriff, who inmates also said choked or beat them while in his custody, didn't just ignore when inmates hurt each other, according to a 2008 lawsuit reviewed by Insider, he is alleged to have also abused inmates. According to a woman arrested in the county, Grassaree pinned her up against a wall, saying he'd let one of the inmates rape her, the lawsuit complaint alleged.

The federal indictment facing Grassarree involved another female inmate, who said she was coerced into having sex with Noxubee County Sheriff deputies. Instead of punishing the deputies after she reported the incident, the Times reported Grassaree pressured the inmate into sending him explicit images of herself, bribing her with special privileges.

The former sheriff was never forced from office, despite numerous complaints lodged against him and seven members of his staff. He retired from office after losing a county election, having served eight years as sheriff of Noxubee County.

The case against Grassarree will continue on June 5, according to court documents reviewed by Insider.

Gary Goodwin, an attorney for Grassaree, did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.