Chauvin pleads guilty to federal charges in Floyd’s death, prosecutors recommend 25 years in prison

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Federal prosecutors are recommending a sentence of up to 25 years in prison for Derek Chauvin, who pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal civil rights charges in the death of George Floyd.

The former Minneapolis police officer’s plea means he will not face a federal trial in January.

Chauvin was convicted this spring of state murder and manslaughter charges for pinning his knee against Floyd’s neck while Floyd said he couldn’t breathe during a May 25, 2020, arrest.

Chauvin was sentenced to 22 1/2 years in that case.

Three other former officers – Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao – were indicted on federal charges alongside Chauvin earlier this year. They are still on course for trial early next year on those charges, with a state trial still to come.