Six men are facing charges for beating a Lake County Jail inmate who resisted turning over his commissary money.
Noble “BG” Uylaki, 25, of Gary; Emmanuel Pugh, 27, of Hobart; Erich Boone, 49, of Gary; Rommel Harris, 36, of Merrillville; Xavier Schlueb, 24, of Gary; and Shakur Brewer, 24, of Merrillville, are each charged with robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, a Level 2 felony; criminal confinement, a Level 3 felony; battery resulting in serious bodily injury, a Level 5 felony; and intimidation, a Level 6 felony.
Lake County Sheriff’s Department Det. Lt. Hardiman wrote the victim reported the attack at 10:35 a.m. Sept. 12 at the jail. He said he was being “extorted” and “threatened” for his commissary funds.
Surveillance video showed Boone slipped into the victim’s housing unit to attack him around 6 a.m., followed minutes later by Uylaki, who ordered everyone out. Both tried to conceal their faces with linens.
Uylaki helped get spit in a cup from inmates in a hallway that they later threw at the victim.
Brewer stood outside, trapping the victim inside. According to the affidavit, Uylaki and Harris dragged the victim out. Pugh, Schlueb and Uylaki kicked him outside. Cameras showed Schlueb went back into the cell to steal stuff from the victim. Uylaki threatened to kill the victim if he left his cell, charges state.
The victim told police the section was on lockdown. Earlier, Uylaki had told him about the section’s “rules,” but he couldn’t understand and asked questions. Uylaki thought the man was “playing dumb” and needed to “teach (him) a lesson,” the affidavit states.
The victim got an eye contusion and cuts, a head injury, neck pain, and a superficial cornea injury.
Police learned Brewer attacked the victim a week earlier and Brewer, Uylaki and other inmates extorted other inmates’ commissary accounts the prior day.
