PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office corrections deputy has been arrested on multiple felony charges after allegedly battering a handcuffed inmate and orchestrating a cover-up involving falsified reports. The incident also resulted in the arrest of another deputy and a PBSO sergeant.
Deputy Aljhady Acevedo, 39, faces multiple criminal charges, including battery, tampering with witnesses, official misconduct, and false imprisonment stemming from a July 4, 2024 incident at the Palm Beach County Main Detention Center.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the incident began when Acevedo was conducting a headcount in the South 10C housing unit when two inmates continued playing cards instead of following headcount procedures. Acevedo then handcuffed both men "as an example to other inmates."
When one inmate complained his handcuffs were too tight, Acevedo allegedly struck the handcuffed inmate four times in the face. The inmate sustained visible swelling and bruising to his left eye, according to the affidavit.
Multiple inmates housed in the unit witnessed the alleged assault, investigators said.
After the incident, Sergeant Travis Faller and Deputy Dennis Smikle allegedly helped orchestrate a cover-up. According to investigators, Acevedo threatened inmates not to report what happened, telling them he had "the power to say they had been fighting" or that "they had battered a deputy."
Acevedo instructed the inmate to say he fell in the shower to explain his injuries. Faller then created a fraudulent incident report falsely claiming the inmate had fallen in a shower, and Smikle signed the false report despite witnessing the actual battery.
A second inmate was allegedly targeted after he criticized Acevedo's actions and called them "illegal and criminal." According to witness statements, Acevedo responded with offensive comments "while inappropriately touching (the inmate's) face, lips and groin area."
Acevedo then falsely claimed the inmate was suicidal to have him placed in restrictive mental health housing as retaliation. The case came to light when that inmate reported the incident through a jail phone call on July 19, 2024.
Investigators obtained sworn statements from multiple inmates who witnessed the incidents. A forensic analysis confirmed that Sergeant Faller had authored the false incident report on his computer, despite Deputy Smikle's name being listed as the author.
Acevedo faces two counts of battery, three counts of tampering with witnesses, official misconduct, conspiracy to commit official misconduct, two counts of forgery, conspiracy to commit forgery, uttering a forgery, conspiracy to commit uttering a forgery, false imprisonment, and perjury not in an official proceeding.
Faller and Smikle are listed as co-defendants in the case and face charges of falsifying official documents.
Faller was booked at 12:29 p.m. and released at 2:32 p.m. after posting a $5,000 surety bond. Smikle was booked at 1:27 p.m. and released at 3:15 p.m. after posting a $5,000 surety bond. Acevedo was booked at 12:19 p.m. without bond and is expected to make his first appearance in court Wednesday morning.
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