Former jail worker indicted

A former sergeant at the Polk County Jail has been indicted by a federal grand jury on a felony charge of using excessive force against an inmate. 25 year old Joshua David Lowe of Aragon is slated to appear before Judge Walter E. Johnson in U.S. District Court in Rome on Monday for a first-appearance hearing. Federal prosecutors said the incident occurred Feb. 7 at the Polk County Jail, when Lowe allegedly struck a jail inmate. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office discovered the apparent violation and immediately reported it to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. FBI agents looked into the apparent abuse and found enough evidence for an indictment. Lowe was terminated from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office as a result of the incident. The office of U.S. Attorney David E. Nahmias will be prosecuting the case.