Travis Jay Nyhoff, a 42-year-old inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Pekin, Illinois, has been sentenced to 33 months in prison for aggravated battery. The sentence will be served consecutively to his current term for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The sentencing took place on January 10, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Joe B. McDade. During the hearing, the court reviewed details of the assault that occurred on December 8, 2023. Nyhoff attacked another inmate from behind while he was watching television in a common area. He pulled the chair out from under the inmate and struck him with it before throwing it against a wall. The incident was captured on security footage.
As a result of the attack, the victim suffered a broken jawbone, facial lacerations penetrating his oral cavity, and several dislodged teeth. Surgery was required to repair his injuries.
Nyhoff was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024 and pleaded guilty in August of that year. Aggravated battery carries statutory penalties of two to five years' imprisonment followed by up to three years of supervised release.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Springfield Field Office and the Federal Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz prosecuted the case.
