14 Ex-Officers Indicted In NJ Women's Prison Inmate Beating, Coverup

CLINTON, NJ - A state grand jury indicted over a dozen former corrections officers at New Jersey's only women's prison in connection with a January 2020 incident in which inmates were “forcibly removed” from cells, with some left severely injured.

The 14 accused former Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women officers were indicted Tuesday on charges of official misconduct, aggravated assault, tampering with public records and related offenses. The following were named in the indictment:

• Sean St. Paul, 56, of Newark
• Ryan Valentin, 44, of Bloomfield
• Eddie Molina, 44, of East Brunswick
• Amir E. Bethea, 37, of Springfield
• Andraia Bridges, 45, of North Plainfield
• Anthony J. Valvano, 40, of Bound Brook
• Brandon Burgos, 22, of Roseland
• Luis A. Garcia, 25, of Nutley
• Courey James, 33, of East Piscataway
• Jose Irizarry, 38, of Paterson
• Desiree Lewis, 33, of Elizabeth
• Gustavo Sarmiento, 29, of Maywood
• Marika Sprow, 33, of West Orange
• Tara Wallace, 37, of Somerset

The incident occurred overnight between Jan. 11 and 12, 2021 after growing tensions between inmates and officers over incidents of inmates squirting unknown liquids through cell doors at officers, the Attorney General’s office said. Inmates involved in these “splashing” incidents were targeted in the extraction, the office added.

Per Department of Corrections policy, extraction should only be used after inmates refuse to put on handcuffs and leave cells on their own, or if they are a risk to themselves or others and refuse to leave a cell.

Yet, the indictment asserts the 14 officers planned, supervised, participated in, or failed to stop “one or more forced cell extractions on the Restorative Housing Unit tier with the purpose of punishing, intimidating or terrorizing one or more inmates.” The indictment also alleges the officers facilitated, failed to intervene in, and failed to report the assaults, with investigators asserting the internal incident reports were false or misleading in an attempt to conceal the violent reality of the incident.

An investigation later found that one inmate was punched 30 times by an officer during the incident while being extracted by a five-person team “despite no apparent provocation or physical resistance from her,” per the Attorney General’s office.

An inmate also suffered from a concussion after officers restrained her during the extraction, at times grabbing her hair or shoving her. She later reported headaches, nausea and vomiting.

Another inmate was found covered in blood and boot marks with her right eye swollen shut, “despite the fact that she had complied with orders to be handcuffed.” She was later diagnosed with a broken skull around her eye. Read More: 3 Officers Charged After Women Inmates Beaten At NJ Prison

Last year, Gov. Phil Murphy announced plans to close the scandal-ridden women's prison, which has also reported years of inmate physical and sexual abuse.

"I am deeply disturbed and disgusted by the horrific attacks that took place on Jan. 11," Murphy said in a statement in January 2021. "Individuals in state custody deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and the officers involved in this incident, both directly and indirectly, abused their power to send a message that they were in charge. The excessive use of force, as outlined in the report, cannot and will not be tolerated by my Administration."

The conspiracy charge carries a sentence of five to 10 years state prison and a fine of $150,000. Official misconduct carries a penalty of five to 10 years state prison with five years parole ineligibility, as well as a fine of $150,000, while tampering with public records is punishable by three to five years in state prison with two years parole ineligibility and a fine of $15,000.

Aggravated assault with serious bodily injury carries a sentence of five to 10 years state prison with a mandate to serve 85 percent of the sentence, plus a fine of $150,000.