(Kenosha County Sheriff)
KENOSHA, Wis. – Three inmates housed in the Kenosha County Jail were criminally charged Tuesday following a chaotic incident that damaged a jail cell, violated institutional rules, and, according to investigators, could have led to a dangerous fire.
Gerald J. Watson, 38, faces the most serious allegation: a felony count of second-degree recklessly endangering safety. Prosecutors say he used exposed electrical wiring in an attempt to light a homemade cigarette, triggering visible sparking inside a locked cell. Watson also faces misdemeanor charges of criminal damage to property, negligent handling of burning material, and disorderly conduct.
Two younger inmates, Giovanni Joshua King, 20, and Verdell M. Maggett, 19, are also charged as parties to the crime. King faces three misdemeanor counts including criminal damage, negligent handling of burning material, and disorderly conduct. Maggett is charged with two misdemeanor counts of violating institutional rules, after jail staff allegedly discovered a makeshift weapon—fashioned from a broken handcuff—under his pillow.
According to the criminal complaints, correctional officers were alerted on May 22 to a burning smell in Cell Block E. A review of surveillance footage allegedly showed King hanging a blanket over the doorway to obscure view into Cell E5, where several inmates—identified as King, Watson, Maggett, and another—were seen entering and exiting in succession. Shortly thereafter, sparks were seen shooting from the cell, and powdered deodorizer in socks was swung by other inmates, seemingly to mask the smell.
A jail corporal reportedly discovered two disconnected wires and a damaged light fixture in the cell. Broken plexiglass and burnt paper ash were also recovered. Under Maggett’s pillow, staff reportedly found a handcuff shard wrapped in cloth, resembling a shank. Jail officials noted the handcuff may have come from a broken set previously reported missing from a conference room.
Watson allegedly admitted to deputies that he was attempting to ignite a cigarette using the exposed wires, but claimed King and Maggett had no involvement in the act itself. However, investigators say King assisted by obscuring the doorway with the blanket, enabling Watson’s actions to go undetected.
All three men were formally charged Tuesday in Kenosha County Circuit Court.
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4 Responses
Always the same creatures
Doesn’t take Dr. Watson to figure out that King Maggot would be a good name for these people.
This is why we can’t have nice things
BILLSHIT! No safety was in danger!