10 guards charged over the fatal beating of a New York inmate, including 2 with murder
UTICA, N.Y. (AP) — Ten New York prison guards were charged Wednesday in connection with the fatal beating of a 22-year-old inmate last month — including two charged with murder. It's the second time a group of correctional officers in the state was indicted for a death behind bars this year.
The indictment says several guards severely beat Messiah Nantwi, a prisoner at the Mid-State Correctional Facility, sending him to a hospital where he died on March 1. As a result of the beatings, Nantwi 'died due to massive head trauma and numerous other injuries to his body,' the indictment said.
Nantwi's death came several months after Robert Brooks was fatally beaten at the Marcy Correctional Facility, just across the street from the Mid-State prison. Six guards have pleaded not guilty to murder charges in Brooks' death and other prison employees have also been charged.
The Utica-area facility was one of many state prisons that was struggling to function during a three-week wildcat strike by guards. Correctional officers who were upset over working conditions began illegally walking off the job Feb. 17 at many state prisons, forcing the governor to send National Guard troops in to maintain operations. Incarcerated people and their advocates complained that services and conditions deteriorated during the walkout.
According to Wednesday's indictment, the two guards charged with second-degree murder, Jonah Levi and Caleb Blair, were called to Nantwi's room to help National Guard members with an 'unknown issue.' Levi and Blair entered the room and 'began beating Messiah Nantwi, including multiple strikes to his body and head with their boots,' the indictment says.
When guards entered Nantwi's room, Nantwi 'had his hands raised and displayed no weapon,' the indictment says. Nantwi protested being handcuffed and restrained for no reason apparent to him and grabbed Bartlett's vest, and then was immediately assaulted by the defendants,' the document says. The attack intensified when Nantwi bit Blair and guard Thomas Eck on their hands.
Nantwi became unresponsive and guards transported him out of the room and headed for the infirmary. Nantwi was assaulted a second time in a stairwell and was 'dumped in a holding cell at the infirmary and further assaulted' by Blair, the indictment says.
Gov. Kathy Hochul called it a 'horrific crime' in announcing the indictments Tuesday.
'The tragic death of Mr. Nantwi at the hands of correction officers who are responsible for protecting the incarcerated population is deeply, deeply disturbing,' Hochul said in a brief video message.
The court document said the guards had no legitimate reason to assault Nantwi. It also said the kicking and stomping, along with leaving him unattended in the infirmary holding cell for several minutes while displaying no urgency for medical staff to check on him, 'demonstrated depraved indifference' to Nantwi's life and 'resulted in his death.'
Levi, Blair and three other guards were also charged with first-degree manslaughter.
The attorney general's office has recused itself in Nantwi's case, citing its representation of several correctional officers in civil lawsuits. A special prosecutor was appointed, Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick, who is also the prosecutor in Brooks' death.
Nantwi entered the state prison system last May and had been serving a five-year sentence for second-degree criminal possession of a weapon related to an exchange of gunfire with police officers in 2021. At the time he was shot multiple times, while the officers were uninjured.
Prosecutors in Manhattan say Nantwi shot and killed Jaylen Duncan, 19, on a Harlem street in April 2023. The following evening, they say, he shot and killed Brandon Brunson, 36, at a Harlem smoke shop after an argument.
___
Collins contributed from Hartford, Connecticut.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
A bid for bail by former New Jersey US Sen. Menendez is rejected by appeals court as prison looms
NEW YORK (AP) — A bid for bail by former U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez while he appeals his bribery conviction was rejected Wednesday by a federal appeals court, a week before the veteran New Jersey politician is scheduled to report to prison. Menendez, 71, was convicted last July of selling his clout for bribes. FBI agents who searched his home three years ago found $480,000, some of it stuffed inside boots and jacket pockets, gold bars worth an estimated $150,000 and a luxury convertible in the garage. Prosecutors said that in exchange, Menendez performed corrupt favors for the New Jersey business owners. They said he tried to protect the men and associates from criminal investigations, helped two in business deals with foreign powers and met with Egyptian intelligence officials before helping that country access $300 million in U.S. military aid. Menendez, a Democrat, has insisted that he is innocent and is seeking to overturn his conviction. He is scheduled to surrender to federal prison authorities on Tuesday. A three-judge panel on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied his bail motion in a brief order issued Wednesday. The decision did not include a rationale, but it said one of the three judges would have granted the motion. An email seeking comment was sent to his attorneys. Menendez, who once served as chair of the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee, resigned his seat a month after his conviction. He had been in the Senate since 2006. Two business owners also were convicted last year along with Menendez. His wife, Nadine Menendez, was convicted in April of teaming up with her husband to accept bribes from the business owners. Her trial was delayed after she was diagnosed with breast cancer and required surgery. Her sentencing has been set for Sept. 11.
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
LA Mayor Bass rips Trump, claims city part of 'national experiment' to test federal power amid anti-ICE riots
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass during a press conference on Wednesday claimed the LA riots were "provoked by the White House," going so far as speculating the city is part of a national experiment to determine how much power the federal government has. Bass claimed local officials initially heard the administration was searching for violent felons, gang members and drug dealers. Yet, she alleged federal agents were raiding workplaces, "tear[ing] parents and children apart" and "run[ning] armored caravans through [the] streets." Her comments came after protests against immigration enforcement escalated into fiery riots over the weekend, prompting President Donald Trump to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops and at least 500 Marines to the area. Local officials this week enacted a nightly curfew and announced hundreds of arrests, following the destruction of numerous local businesses and violence against police. Trump Takes Action Against 'Orchestrated Attack' On Law Enforcement By Deploying Marines To La: Assemblyman "This was provoked by the White House," Bass said. "The reason why—we don't know. I posit that maybe we are part of a national experiment to determine how far the federal government can go in reaching in and taking over power from a governor, power from a local jurisdiction, and frankly, leaving our city and our citizens… in fear. … You're not trying to keep anyone safe, you're trying to cause fear and panic." Read On The Fox News App She did not denounce the violent rioting during the press conference, alleging the rioting issue is contained to six square miles. "@MayorOfLA suggests things won't be 'peaceful' in Los Angeles until the Trump Administration stops enforcing immigration law and removing violent criminal illegals from the streets," the White House wrote in a response on X. "Why are these Radical Left lunatics so obsessed with defending criminals who have no right to be here?" Rioters Smash Windows At Lapd Headquarters As Anti-ice Agitators Clash With Authorities The LA mayor was joined by multiple surrounding mayors and local officials from 30 cities, who argued Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) should not be enforcing the law in California. "We want the National Guard out of our region," said El Monte Mayor Jessica Ancona. "We want the military out of our region. They have no business here. And we also want ICE out of our cities. We need to keep our families safe." Downey Council Member Mario Trujillo and South Gate Mayor Maria Davila noted ICE raids continued in their cities on Wednesday. Huntington Park Mayor Arturo Flores claimed the Trump administration's actions were unconstitutional, and asked to send a message directly to the Marines on the ground. "The people that are here who have been called foreigners are not foreigners. These are Americans," Flores said. "When we lifted our hands, we swore the oath to defend the Constitution and to defend this country. That oath was to the American people. It was not to a dictator, it was not to a tyrant, it was not to a president. "It was to the American people and the people that are here … Whether they have a document or they don't, you're dealing with Americans," Flores said. "So please remember that if you're ever put in a situation or asked to do something." Bass later added Marines "are trained in warfare on foreign lands, not domestic," and said she did not know what role they could play without the ability to make arrests. California Lt. Governor Says Los Angeles Riots Are 'Generated By Donald Trump' Paramount Mayor Peggy Lemons said her city created a special fund Tuesday night that will financially help immigrant families. "The city council and staff are working tirelessly to develop other means of support and assistance, doing more to support our community," Lemons said. "We will also be seeking out our residents who have been directly impacted so that we may hear from them and provide direct support." The White House and Department of Defense did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for article source: LA Mayor Bass rips Trump, claims city part of 'national experiment' to test federal power amid anti-ICE riots
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
What to know about Harvey Weinstein's conviction on a top sex crimes charge at his #MeToo retrial
NEW YORK (AP) — Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty again, convicted Wednesday of a top sex crimes charge at his #MeToo retrial in New York City. The mixed and partial verdict came more than five years after his first conviction, which an appeals court overturned last year. The jury returned a verdict on two of three charges against Weinstein, acquitting him of one. Jurors indicated that they had yet to achieve unanimity on the final count. That could mean more deliberations on Thursday. The verdict capped an extraordinary fifth day of deliberations. The jury foreperson complained that he was being bullied by other jurors. Weinstein's lawyer then asked for a mistrial, and Weinstein himself addressed the judge without jurors in the courtroom, imploring him to end the case without a verdict. Minutes later, the jury of seven women and five men declared the ailing 73-year-old guilty of one count of criminal sex act, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. Weinstein denies raping or sexually assaulting anyone. Once he's sentenced, he can appeal. Here's what you need to know about the verdict: What was Weinstein convicted of? Jurors convicted Weinstein of one count of criminal sex act, finding that he forcibly performed oral sex on a TV and movie producer and production assistant, Miriam Haley, nearly two decades ago. Haley, who had a short stint working on the Weinstein-produced 'Project Runway,' testified that he assaulted her in July 2006 after inviting her to stop by his SoHo apartment before a flight his company booked her on the next day to Los Angeles to attend a movie premiere. Haley testified that Weinstein backed her into a bedroom, pushed her onto a bed and forced oral sex on her, undeterred by her kicks and pleas of, 'No, no — it's not going to happen.' Weinstein was convicted of the same charge at his first trial. Haley, who has also gone by the name Mimi Haleyi, told jurors that she was never interested in any sexual or romantic relationship with Weinstein but still wanted his help professionally. She acknowledged she kept in touch and exchanged warm messages with him and accepted an invitation to his hotel room two weeks after the alleged assault, when she said he pulled her into bed for sex. What was Weinstein acquitted of? Weinstein acquitted of a charge of criminal sex act relating to a previously uncharged allegation that he forced oral sex on Kaja (KEYE'-ah) Sokola, a psychologist and former Polish model and actor, at a Manhattan hotel in 2006 just before her 20th birthday. Sokola, who wasn't a part of Weinstein's first trial, testified that Weinstein assaulted her after luring her to his hotel room by telling her had a script to show her. As he pushed her onto a bed, stripped off her boots, her stockings and her underwear, 'my soul was removed from me," she said. Now 39, Sokola said he held her down while ignoring her pleas of 'please don't, please stop, I don't want this.' She said she tried to push him away but was no match against the much larger Weinstein. Sokola also testified that Weinstein sexually assaulted her when she was 16 years old, but that allegation was beyond legal time limits for a potential criminal charge. Sokola said she stayed in touch with Weinstein because she had dreams of an acting career. She went to authorities in January 2020, a few days into Weinstein's first trial. Prosecutors halted their investigation after Weinstein was convicted, but revived it when the verdict was thrown out last year. What charge hasn't been decided yet? The jury hasn't reached a verdict on a third-degree rape charge involving Jessica Mann's allegation that Weinstein assaulted her in March 2013. Mann, a cosmetologist and hairstylist, said she met Weinstein at a party in late 2012 or early 2013, when she was 27 and trying to launch an acting career. She alleges Weinstein trapped her in a Manhattan hotel room, demanded that she undress as he loomed over her, grabbed her arms and raped her after, she believes, he injected himself with an erection-promoting drug that she later found in the bathroom trash. Mann said she had a consensual, on-and-off relationship with the then-married Weinstein, but that he was volatile and violated her if she refused him. She said she kept in touch with Weinstein after the alleged rape, telling jurors she 'compartmentalized the part of Harvey that was hurting me,' and that flattery and friendliness 'kept the peace.' The Associated Press generally does not name sexual assault accusers without their permission, which Haley, Mann and Sokola have given. Why was there a new trial? New York's highest court, the Court of Appeals, threw out Weinstein's conviction in April 2024. In a 4-3 decision, the court said the judge in the first trial, James Burke, denied Weinstein a fair trial by letting three women testify about allegations that didn't result in charges and by deciding that prosecutors could confront Weinstein, if he testified, about stories of him behaving brutishly. The court labeled the allegations against Weinstein 'appalling, shameful, repulsive conduct' but warned that 'destroying a defendant's character under the guise of prosecutorial need' did not justify some trial evidence and testimony. Burke's term expired at the end of 2022, and he is no longer a judge. Prosecutors were not allowed to retry Weinstein on charges that he was acquitted of during his first trial, including predatory sexual assault and one count of first-degree rape. What about Weinstein's other criminal case? Weinstein is appealing his conviction in Los Angeles in a similar case in 2022. Jurors there found him guilty of three of seven charges, including rape, and he was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Weinstein's lawyers argued he did not get a fair trial. They contend that the judge in the California case wrongly allowed jurors to know about Weinstein's 2020 New York conviction, and that the jury was unfairly prejudiced by testimony from women about alleged assaults Weinstein was not charged with. __ Associated Press journalists Ruth Brown and Philip Marcelo contributed to this report.
