Former Mississippi law enforcement officers were sentenced to decades in prison following hearings in a Jackson federal court for torturing two Black men.
Four of the perpetrators were sentenced earlier this week, while the remaining two were sentenced on Thursday.
Former Rankin County sheriff's deputy Brett McAlpin was sentenced to almost 27 years in prison, while former Richland police officer Joshua Hartfield was sentenced to 10 years, reported ABC News.
McAlpin and Hartfield make up a group of former law enforcement officers who called themselves the "Goon Squad" due to their use of excessive force, according to the US Department of Justice.
All six members pleaded guilty to 16 felonies in relation to the racially motivated torture and sexual assault of Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker, as well as a plan to cover up their crimes.
Christian Dedmon, former Rankin County sheriff's deputy, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for his role in the torture and assault of Jenkins and Parker. His sentence also includes the assault of another man during an incident that occurred during a traffic stop in December 2022.
Federal prosecutors allege Dedmon was the leader behind both attacks as he's received the harshest sentence thus far.
"I want to tell them I'm sorry for what they went through, what they are going through," Dedmon said during the sentencing hearing, per WAPT. "If I [could] take every bit of it back, I promise I would."
Lead attorney Malik Shabazz, who represented both Jenkins and Parker, told ABC News in a statement following Dedmon's sentencing that "history was made today in Mississippi."
"The 40-year prison sentence given to 'Goon Squad' member Christian Dedman by Judge Thomas Lee for the sick and serious crimes committed against our clients Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker made history today," Shabazz said.
"All of these 'Goon Squad' sentences are sending a serious message to all rogue police and other 'Goon Squads' all over America, that justice is coming to you."
Earlier on Wednesday, former Rankin County sheriff's deputy Daniel Opdyke was sentenced to 17 1/2 years in prison for his role in the incident.
Opdyke even cried during his sentencing and claims his time in prison has helped him reflect on "how I transformed into the monster I became that night."
"The weight of my actions and the harm I've caused will haunt me every day," Opdyke told the victims. "I wish I could take away your suffering."
Former Rankin County sheriff's deputy Hunter Elward was sentenced on Tuesday to 20 years, while Jeffrey Middleton received a 17 1/2-year sentence for his role, disclosed the US Department of Justice.
"These defendants will spend 20 years and 17.5 years in prison for their heinous attack on citizens they had sworn an oath to protect," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement on Tuesday following the first round of sentencing.
"The Justice Department will hold accountable officers who violate constitutional rights, and in so doing, betray the public trust," his statement concluded.
The Department of Justice launched an investigation into the incident in Feb. 2023, along with the FBI, amid outrage from the community.
Attorneys for Jenkins and Parker filed a notice of claim for a $400 million federal lawsuit, reported ABC.
"It's in court, and we're fighting," Shabazz told the news outlet Monday when asked about the status of the lawsuit.
