Dеfendants-Appellants Marvin Wells and Stephen Rhodes (collectively, the “defendants”) appeal from judgments of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York (Weinstein, J.), entered on April 1, 2010, following a jury trial, convicting Wells of conspiracy to obstruct justice, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371; obstruction of justice, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1519; two counts of attempted intimidation and corrupt persuasion, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(b)(3); and making a false statement, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2); аnd convicting Rhodes of obstruction of justice, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1519; and making a false statement, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2). This appeal calls upon us to decide whether an internal investigation by a privately owned prison that houses federal prisoners of an allegation of excessive force involves a, “matter within the jurisdiction” of the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) for purposes of 18 U.S.C. § 1519. 1 As set forth below, we hold that it does, and accordingly affirm Wells’s аnd Rhodes’s convictions on the obstruction-of-justice counts. For the reasons stated herein and in the accompanying summary order, the judgments of the district court are AFFIRMED.
BACKGROUND
The facts of this case are largely undisputed. The evidence at trial revealed that, *373 on the morning of April 17, 2007, Rex Eguridu, a federal inmate housed at Queens Private Correctional Facility (“QPCF”), 2 called out to Krystal Mack, a QPCF corrections officer (“CO”): “Hello baby. You look beautiful today.” App’x 219. Wells, a supervising lieutenant at QPCF, approached Eguridu and directed Rhodes, a CO, to handcuff Eguridu. When Eguridu apologized for his remark, Wells told him “to keep [his] mouth shut.” Id. at 220. Wells thereafter instructed Rhodes and Kirby Gray, another CO, to take Eguridu to a shower room and remove his handcuffs.
Once in the shower room, Wells directed Eguridu to remove his clothes. After Eguridu was strip-searched, Wells angrily questioned Eguridu why he would call an officer “baby,” and repeatedly struck Eguridu in the chest and throat. Each blow caused Eguridu’s head to strike against the concrete wall of the shower room. Gray, Rhodes, and Hananiah Day, another CO, were present in the shower room and witnessed the event. Leslie Andrews, another CO, saw Wells strike Eguridu and heard Eguridu’s head “thump” against the wall repeatedly as she passed by the shower room.
After the attack concluded, Wells ordered Eguridu to get onto his knees and apologize. Eguridu compliеd, and Wells instructed Gray and Rhodes to take Eguridu back to his cell. As they were leaving, Wells told Eguridu, “if I hear one word about this I’ll fuckin’ kill you. We’ll come down there, I’ll drag you out and I’ll kill you.” Id. at 344.
Following the assault, Eguridu felt pain in his chest and throat. A medical examination revealed that Eguridu had a deviation of the throat with swelling of his neck, difficulty moving his neck and shoulders, and a bruise on his sternum. Two days later, he was transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
Almost immediatеly thereafter, QPCF, a privately owned detention center operated by The GEO Group, initiated an investigation of the incident. QPCF’s administrative lieutenant, William Robinson, directed the officers to write reports to QPCF describing what they had observed. Wells wrote one report, Rhodes and Gray each wrote two reports, and Mack wrote four reports. Each of those reports stated, in sum and substance, that no force had been used against Eguridu and nо assault had taken place.
Andrews testified that before she wrote her first report, Wells told her: “I should just put down I don’t know what happened. I didn’t see anything.” Id. at 267. Similarly, Mack advised Andrews: “we all have to stick together. We have to say the same thing. This is how we do it.... You are the weakest link.” Id. at 271. Andrews, who wrote five separate reports of the incident, testified that she was not truthful in her first four reports because she was afraid that other officers would retaliаte against her. She nevertheless decided to write in her fifth report the truth about what she had observed in the shower room.
Day testified that on the afternoon of April 17, the same day as the incident, Wells called him and one other officer into Wells’s office. 3 Wells advised them that they were required to write reports about the incident and instructed them to state that no force had been used against Eguridu. Wells stated also that he would speak with the other officers and “make sure that they wrote that they didn’t witness *374 any use of force.” Id. at 348. Day testified that he wrote a false report to QPCF at Wells’s direction. After Day submitted his report, Wells told him to “stick with it. They may ask you for another report. They’ve already asked Andrews for an addendum.” Id. at 350. Day, however, later informed the administrative lieutenant that he had submitted a false report, and he submitted a second report that accurately described what he had observed.
Several months later, the matter was referred to the Office of the Inspector General (“OIG”), the investigative unit of the DOJ, which commenced a federal investigation. Mary Chiu-Vaccariello, an OIG case agent, interviewed Wells and Rhodes separately in early 2008. She advised them that the interview would be voluntary and that they could face charges for being untruthful.
In his February 26, 2008 interview with Chiu-Vaccariello, Rhodes stated that he did not see Wells strike Eguridu. He acknowledged that “an incident had occurred between [Wells] and ... Eguridu, but he really didn’t know the substance of the incident.” Id. at 432. Wells stated in his April 1, 2008 interview that he directed Rhodes and Gray to take Eguridu to the shower room and perform a strip search and then ordered Eguridu to apologize to Mack. He denied striking Eguridu, threatening to kill him, and directing COs how to write their reports. Wells and Rhodes affirmed to Chiu-Vaccariello that their written reports to QPCF were truthful and accurate.
On Novеmber 12, 2008, a grand jury returned an indictment against Wells, Rhodes, Gray, and Mack. The indictment alleged (1) as to Wells, deprivation of civil rights by the use of excessive force on Eguridu, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 242; (2) as to Wells, Rhodes, and Gray, conspiracy to obstruct justice by filing false reports, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371; (3) as to Wells, Rhodes, and Gray, obstruction of justice by filing false reports, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1519; (4) as to Wells, Rhodes, and Mack, conspiracy to corruptly persuade Andrews, in violation оf 18 U.S.C. § 1512(k); (5) as to Wells, attempted intimidation and corrupt persuasion of Andrews, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(b)(3); (6) as to Wells, attempted intimidation and corrupt persuasion of Day, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(b)(3); (7) as to Rhodes and Mack, attempted corrupt persuasion of Andrews, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(b)(3); and (8) as to Rhodes, Gray, and Wells, making false statements, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2).
Following a jury trial, Wells was convicted of five counts: conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice, two counts of attempted intimidation and corrupt persuasion, and making a false statement. Rhodes was convicted of two counts: obstruction of justice and making a false statement. The district court sentenced Wells to one year and one day of incarceration and three years of supervised release. It sentenced Rhodes to three years of probation. This appeal followed.
DISCUSSION
On appeal, Wells and Rhodes challenge their convictions for obstruction of justice under 18 U.S.C. § 1519, which, in relevant part, requires proof of conduct intended to obstruct the investigation or proper administration of a matter within the jurisdiction of a federal agency. They argue that the government did not prove that their filing of false reports was intended to impede or influence the investigation or proper administration of a matter within the jurisdiction of the DOJ because QPCF was а privately owned jail and they were unaware that there would be a federal inves *375 tigation of the Eguridu assault. Thus, they contend, the government did not demonstrate a sufficient nexus between the defendants’ conduct and federal jurisdiction for purposes of the obstruction of justice charges.
Where, as here, we are called upon to interpret the meaning of a federal statute, “we look first to the language of the statute itself.”
Marvel Characters, Inc. v. Simon,
We therefore begin with the text of the obstruction of justice statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1519, which provides:
Whoever knowingly alters, destroys, mutilates, conceals, covers up, fаlsifies, or makes a false entry in any record, document, or tangible object with the intent to impede, obstruct, or influence the investigation or proper administration of any matter within the jurisdiction of any department or agency of the United States ..., or in relation to or contemplation of any such matter ..., shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.
18 U.S.C. § 1519 (emphasis added).
The defendants argue first that the government did not prove a sufficient “nexus” betwеen their conduct and an official proceeding, as required by
United States v. Aguilar,
In
Aguilar,
Whoever corruptly, or by threats or force, or by any threatening letter or communication, endeavors to influence, intimidate, or impede any grand or petit juror, or officer in оr of any court of the United States, or officer who may be serving at any examination or other proceeding before any United States commissioner or other committing magistrate, in the discharge of his duty, or injures any such grand or petit juror in his person or property on account of any verdict or indictment assented to by him, or on account of his being or having been such juror, or injures any such officer, commissioner, or other committing magistrate in his person or property on account of the performance of his official duties, or corruptly or by threats or force, or by any threatening letter or communication, influences, obstructs, or impedes, or endeavors to influence, obstruct, or impede, the due administration of justice, shall be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
18 U.S.C. § 1503 (1988) (emphasis added). The Supreme Court affirmed the Ninth Circuit’s reversal of the conviction, holding that uttering false statements to an investigating agent who “might or might not
*376
testify before a grand jury” is not sufficient to make out a violation of § 1503’s prohibition of “endeavoring] to influence, obstruct, or impede ... the due administration of justice.”
Aguilar,
In
Arthur Andersen,
Whoever knowingly uses intimidation or physical force, threatens, or corruptly persuades another person, or attempts to do so, or engages in misleading conduct toward another person, with intent to ... cause or induce any person to ... withhold testimony, or withhold a record, document, or other object, from an official proceeding [or] alter, destroy, mutilate, or conceal an object with intent to impair the object’s integrity or availability for use in an official proceeding ... shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
18 U.S.C. § 1512(b)(2) (2000) (emphasis added). The Supreme Court reversed the conviction. It extended the reasoning of
Aguilar
to § 1512(b)(2), holding that the government was required to provе a “nexus” between the defendant’s attempts to persuade another to destroy documents and a pending or foreseeable official proceeding.
In reliance upon
Aguilar
and
Arthur Andersen,
the defendants argue the government must “link the[ir] conduct with knowledge of a subsequent official proceeding at the time the statement was given and an intention to affect that proceeding.” Wells Br. 15. By their terms, the obstruction statutes at issue in
Aguilar
and
Arthur Andersen,
respectively, addressed conduct affecting the “due administration of justice” and “official proceeding[s].”
See
18 U.S.C. §§ 1503, 1512(b)(2). Section 1519, by contrast, requires proof that the defendant engaged in obstructive conduct “with the intent to impede, obstruct, or influence the investigation or proper administration of
any matter within the jurisdiction of any department or agency of the United States.”
18 U.S.C. § 1519 (emphasis added). As Wells concedes, § 1519 “makes
no
specific reference
*377
to a judicial or official proceeding.” Wells Br. 15. The defendants’ argument therefore conflicts with the plain meaning of § 1519.
See Engine Mfrs. Ass’n v. S. Coast Air Quality Mgmt. Dist,
The words of the statute are unambiguous, and, thus, “judicial inquiry is complete.”
Conn. Nat’l Bank,
Currently, provisions governing the destruction or fabrication of evidence are a patchwork that have been interpreted, often very narrowly, by federal courts. For instance, certain current provisions make it a crime to persuade another person to destroy documents, but not a crime to actually destroy the same documents yourself. Other provisions, such as 18 U.S.C. § 1503, have been narrowly interpreted by courts, including the Supreme Court in United States v. Aguillar [sic], [515 U.S.] 593 [115 S.Ct. 2357 ,132 L.Ed.2d 520 ] (1995), to apply only to situations where the obstruction of justice can be closely tied to a pending judicial proceeding.... In short, the current laws regarding destruction of evidence are full of ambiguities and technical limitations that should be corrected. This provision is meant to accomplish those ends.
Seсtion 1519 is meant to apply broadly to any acts to destroy or fabricate physical evidence so long as they are done with the intent to obstruct, impede or influence the investigation or proper administration of any matter, and such matter is within the jurisdiction of an agency of the United States, or such acts done either in relation to or in contemplation of such a matter or investigation. This statute is specifically meant not to inсlude any technical requirement, which some courts have read into other obstruction of justice statutes, to tie the obstructive conduct to a pending or imminent proceeding or matter. It is also sufficient that the act is done “in contemplation” of or in relation to a matter or investigation. It is also meant to do away with the distinctions, which some courts have read into obstruction statutes, between court proceedings, investigations, rеgulatory or administrative proceedings (whether formal or not), and less formal government inquiries, regardless of their title. Destroying or falsifying documents to obstruct any of these types of matters or investigations, which in fact are proved to be within the jurisdiction of any federal agency are covered by this statute.
S.Rep. No. 107-146, at 14-15 (2002),
Thus, in enacting § 1519, Congress rejected any requirement that the government prove a link between a defendant’s conduct and an imminent or pending official proceeding. The defendants therefore are incorrect in assuming that because the Supreme Court has required a nexus to an official proceeding for purposes of other obstruction statutes, the same nexus requirement must apply to prosecutions un
*378
der § 1519.
5
As Wells readily concedes, the term “official proceeding” nowhere appears in § 1519. In view of the statute’s plain language, which is fully consistent with the legislative history, we decline to read any such nexus requirement into the text of § 1519.
See Conn. Nat’l Bank,
Notwithstanding the asserted nexus requirement, the defendants maintain that they could not have obstructed a matter within the jurisdiction of the DOJ because they were employed by The GEO Group, a private entity that operates QPCF. But they overlook the fact that QPCF contracted with the U.S. Marshals Service, an agency within the DOJ, to house federal prisoners. The warden of QPCF is required by the terms of that contract to report allegations of excessive force to the Marshals Service. Reports of excessive force at QPCF in turn are referred to the DOJ’s investigation unit, OIG. As the district court instructed the jury without objection, the DOJ “has jurisdiction and authority to investigate allegations that correctional officers at privately as well as publicly run correctional institutions have violated a person’s constitutional rights by using excessive forсe.” App’x 552. Accordingly, we hold that QPCF’s internal investigation into whether the defendants’ conduct violated QPCF’s internal regulations involved a “matter within the jurisdiction” of the DOJ for purposes of 18 U.S.C. § 1519. 6
The defendants rejoin that their convictions under § 1519 must be reversed because “there is no evidence that [they] knew or contemplated that [their] statements would necessarily be submitted to the DOJ.” Wells Br. 15. By the plain terms of § 1519, knowledge of a pending federal investigation or рroceeding is not an element of the obstruction crime.
See United States v. Ionia Mgmt. S.A.,
Finally, the defendants contend that the Eguridu assault was “too attenuated” from the subsequent federаl investigation to support a conviction under § 1519. We disagree. OIG’s investigation commenced within several months of the incident, and, in any case, § 1519 does not require the existence or likelihood of a federal investigation.
See United States v. Kun Yun Jho,
Accordingly, we find no basis to reverse the defendants’ convictions for obstruction of justice under 18 U.S.C. § 1519.
CONCLUSION
We have considered the defendants’ arguments and find them to be without merit. We hold that an internal investigation by a privately owned prison that houses federal prisoners of an allegation of excessive force involves a “matter within the jurisdiction” of the Department of Justice for purposes of 18 U.S.C. § 1519. For the reasons stated herein and in the accompanying summary order, the judgments of the district court are AFFIRMED.
Notes
. In an accompanying summary order, we address and reject Wells's additional arguments that (1) his corrupt persuasion and false statement convictions were not supported by sufficient evidence and (2) his conspiracy to obstruct justice conviction is infirm as a matter of law, and Rhodes's additional argument that the evidence was insufficient to convict him of obstruction of justice and making a false statement on the ground that the jury rendered an inconsistent verdict. In that order, we address also the defendants’ contention that the district court erred in permitting the government to introduce into evidence certain of the policies and regulations of their employer.
. QPCF became known as Queens Private Detention Facility in or around October 2007.
. Day recalled that the other officer was either Rhodes or Gray.
. Congress enacted § 1519 as part of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
. The defendants have identified one case stating that § 1519 requires that the government prove a nexus between a defendant's conduct and an official proceeding.
See United States v. Russell,
. We express no view on whether § 1519 would apply to private investigations outside the unique circumstances of this case, which include that QPCF’s operations consist of housing federal prisoners, a function traditionally performed by the federal government, and that QPCF is contractually obligated to report allegations of excessive force to a federal agency.