The Federal Bureau of Investigation has initiated a probe into the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office over the March arrests of five corrections officers for an excessive force complaint from an inmate.

News Channel 5 has learned that within the past few weeks, the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division based out of Washington, DC and the FBI based out of Alexandria got involved with the case and opened a probe into the office. We have confirmed through multiple sources that the FBI seized multiple computers, phones and documents from the office. We have also been told that the FBI's probe could extend beyond the incident involving the inmate.

On March 21, an inmate lodged a complaint against Deputy Corrections Officer Cody Richardson for excessive force. RPSO Internal Affairs began an investigation and found enough evidence to support the claim of the inmate, so Richardson was fired and arrested for second degree battery (5 counts), malfeasance in office (6 counts), and obstruction of justice (2 counts).

Richardson was released on commercial bond. His arraignment is set for October 19.

As the investigation continued, Internal Affairs discovered that others within the department may have been involved as well. On March 27, a Rapides Parish grand jury indicted Bradley Cohenour, Marlon Creecy, John Aaron IV, and Quitina Frazier for malfeasance in office. They were fired as well before being arrested and booked into the parish jail. They have since bonded out. Creecy pleaded "not guilty" at a May arraignment. The others have arraignments set for October 19.

We have also learned that Chief Deputy Bobby Cameron resigned from his position last Friday. Our sources tell us his resignation stems from a separate internal matter, but there's no word yet on if he is or could be a focus on the FBI probe too.

We have been in contact with Sheriff William Earl Hilton who confirmed Cameron's departure from the office and confirmed that they are "cooperating" with the FBI with that incident. He would not elaborate beyond that.

We also reached out to the trial attorney from the U.S. Department of Justice who is involved with the investigation. We left a message for comment.