Travis Jay Nyhoff, 42, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Pekin, Illinois, was sentenced to 33 months in prison for aggravated battery. The sentence is to be served consecutively to his current term for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
During a hearing on January 10, 2025, U.S. District Judge Joe B. McDade reviewed details of the assault that occurred on December 8, 2023. According to evidence presented, Nyhoff approached another inmate from behind in the common area while the inmate watched television. He pulled the chair from under him and struck him with it before throwing it against the wall. Security footage captured this unprovoked attack.
The victim suffered a broken jawbone, facial lacerations extending into his oral cavity, and several dislodged teeth. Surgery was required to repair his injuries.
A federal grand jury indicted Nyhoff for assault in April 2024. He pleaded guilty in August of that year. Aggravated battery carries penalties ranging from two to five years' imprisonment and up to three years of supervised release thereafter.
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 led the prosecution for the government.