HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A federal grand jury has indicted a Tennessee man accused of assaulting a corrections officer at the DeKalb County Detention Center, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Thomas Elliott, 31, of Chattanooga, is charged with one count of forcibly assaulting a corrections officer. The indictment was filed in Huntsville in U.S. District Court.

According to court documents, the alleged assault occurred in November 2025 at the DeKalb County Detention Center involving an officer with the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office.

The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service in coordination with the sheriff’s office.

If convicted, Elliott faces a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison.