Fort Myers man sentenced to life for witness tampering and inmate assault

Writer: Nicholas Karsen
Published: Updated:
Fort Myers
Credit: Florida State Attorney’s Office

A Fort Myers man has been sentenced to life in prison for witness tampering and inmate assault.

Joseph Rochford was sentenced on Tuesday following his conviction in September regarding an assault that occurred between himself and another inmate in the Lee County Jail.

The victim in the case said that Rochford returned from the jail’s scheduled recreation time and snuck into the victim’s housing pod across the hallway from his.

Rochford then attacked the victim, striking them in the face, and then snuck back into his pod.

He was then moved to a single cell following the attack.

A case detective with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office then investigated the original pod where the defendant was housed to locate any weapons in possession of Rochford.

Homemade tattooing equipment was found inside his cell.

A body search of Rochford revealed a concealed metal shiv.

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