John Hampton, a member of the Real Riders prison gang, was one of seven inmates in the Muskingum County Jail that physically assaulted another inmate in 2017 and stole his possessions.

Wednesday morning, Hampton, 34, reversed his original plea of not guilty and pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated rioting and one count of robbery, both third-degree felonies.

Hampton along with Zachary South, Christopher Rambo, Richard Whitehouse, Ryan Viney, Mark Swartz and Brandon Spring allegedly entered into Kevin Kidd’s holding cell in the county jail on July 11, 2017 before assaulting Kidd and stealing his commissary which was worth $18.91, Muskingum County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Gerald Anderson said in court.

Kidd sustained a head injury, strains to his neck and shoulder, a hematoma and a chipped tooth.

“These guys go into the cell and they pick a fight, basically, with Kevin Kidd who they think is a Aryan Brotherhood member and just start beating on him and then they take his stuff, well his commissary,” Anderson said. “At least a handful of them were members of the Real Riders, John Hampton being one of them.”

Originally, Hampton was charged as a member of the Real Riders which added a specification of committing those crimes while participating in a criminal gang, according to his indictment.

Anderson said, as part of a plea deal, that specification was released.

Hampton has been incarcerated in Southeastern Correctional Institute serving a 30 month sentence regarding a separate case where he was convicted of carrying a concealed weapon and having a weapon under disability since July 14, 2017, according to his court records. His sentence in that case is set to expire on Dec. 29, 2019.

The State did not make a recommendation for sentencing during Hampton’s plea, but Anderson did specify that the State is requesting he pay $930 in restitution due to Kidd’s medical bills as a result of the incident.

Hampton’s sentencing has not been scheduled at the time of publication.