Former Sheriff Mike Burgess was convicted in 2009 of 13 felony counts, including five counts of second-degree rape, three counts of bribery by a public official, two counts of forcible sodomy, and one count each of kidnapping, sexual battery, and engaging in a pattern of criminal offenses. He was sentenced to 79 years in prison. The convictions stemmed from allegations that Burgess sexually abused female inmates and drug court defendants, coercing them into sexual acts by threatening to send them to prison if they did not comply. Additionally, a federal lawsuit filed on behalf of 14 female prisoners alleged that Burgess operated a sex-slave ring within the jail, leading to a $10 million settlement paid by Custer County.
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