BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A third former guard at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola has pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the beating of a handcuffed inmate.

Mark Sharp, of Amite, pleaded guilty to violating an inmate's civil rights and lying to the FBI.

Nola.com/The Times-Picayune reports Sharp, a former captain at the prison, joined a search for an inmate who had escaped Jan. 24, 2010. After the inmate was captured, Sharp and two other guards got in the back of the truck with him.

Federal authorities say Sharp admitted striking the inmate with a baton and seeing one of the other officers kick the inmate in the head and shoulder. The 33-year-old faces up to 15 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.

He and the other ex-officers await sentencing.

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