Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
PEORIA, Ill. – Travis Jay Nyhoff, 42, who is currently incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution in Pekin, Illinois (FCI-Pekin), was sentenced on January 10, 2025 to 33 months’ imprisonment for aggravated battery. The sentence will run consecutive to the term of imprisonment Nyhoff is presently serving for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Joe B. McDade, the court considered the following uncontested information regarding the assault. On December 8, 2023, Nyhoff had approached another inmate from behind as the inmate was watching television in the common area, yanked his chair out from beneath him, and proceeded to strike the inmate across the face with the chair and then hurl the chair at the wall. The unprovoked attack was documented by security footage. The inmate sustained a broken lower jawbone, a laceration to his face that penetrated his oral cavity, and several dislodged teeth. He later underwent surgery to repair his jawbone.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Nyhoff with assault in April 2024, and he entered a guilty plea in August 2024.
The statutory penalties for aggravated battery are two to five years’ imprisonment, to be followed by up to three years of supervised release.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Services investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz represented the government in the prosecution.