Robert J. "Bob" Troester U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma
Joseph Francis Butler, a 35-year-old inmate from Illinois, has been sentenced to an additional 30 years in federal prison for aggravated sexual abuse committed at the Federal Transfer Center (FTC) in Oklahoma City. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
“Incarceration in a federal prison does not negate the protection of inmates from sexual or violent assaults by other inmates,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. “This sentence for Mr. Butler to serve an additional three decades in prison sends a clear message that serious consequences await those who prey on fellow inmates.”
Court records and evidence presented during trial indicate that on June 4, 2023, Butler entered another inmate’s cell at the FTC and sexually assaulted him while holding a shank to the victim’s neck and side. At the time of the incident, Butler was already serving a 125-month sentence for being a felon in possession of a firearm following his conviction in Minnesota.
A federal Grand Jury indicted Butler on July 17, 2024, for aggravated sexual abuse. After a four-day trial concluded on March 14, 2025, he was found guilty by a jury.
U.S. District Judge Patrick R. Wyrick sentenced Butler to serve an additional 360 months in prison consecutively to his current term, followed by ten years of supervised release. In issuing the sentence, Judge Wyrick cited both the severity of the offense and Butler’s criminal history.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Special Investigative Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany Edgmon and Brandon Hale.
Reference is made to public filings for further details.
