Suspended Sergeant Faces New Charges In NJ Women's Prison Beatings

NEW JERSEY — The tally of indicted correctional officers from New Jersey's only women's prison has risen to 15 in connection with a January 2020 incident in which inmates were “forcibly removed” from cells, with some left severely injured.

Sgt. Matthew Faschan, 35, of Hackettstown, who worked at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women was indicted by a state grand jury voted on Nov. 17 on charges of conspiracy, official misconduct, tampering with public records, and aggravated assault, announced the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) announced

Faschan joins 14 other officers who were previously indicted in September 2022.

"The State has a responsibility to protect individuals in our custody and our care," said First Assistant Attorney General Lyndsay V. Ruotolo. "The allegations in this case reflect a failure to uphold that duty. We will hold accountable those who harm people in state custody, as well as anyone who tries to cover up illegal abuses."

In addition to Faschan, the 14 other officers who were indicted and charged include:

• Sean St. Paul, 57, of Newark
• Ryan Valentin, 46, of Bloomfield
• Eddie Molina, 45, of East Brunswick
• Amir E. Bethea, 38, of Springfield
• Andraia Bridges, 46, of North Plainfield
• Anthony J. Valvano, 41, of Bound Brook
• Brandon Burgos, 24, of Roseland
• Luis A. Garcia, 26, of Nutley
• Courey James, 34, of East Piscataway
• Jose Irizarry, 39, of Paterson
• Desiree Lewis, 34, of Elizabeth
• Gustavo Sarmiento Jr., 30, of Maywood
• Marika Sprow, 34, of West Orange
• Tara Wallace, 38, of Somerset

The 15 indicted officers, who have all been suspended without pay, include four sergeants, one lieutenant, one major, and an associate administrator.

All of the officers were indicted on one count of conspiracy (second-degree) and two counts of official misconduct (second-degree). Certain defendants were also charged with tampering with public records (third-degree), aggravated assault (second-degree) and additional counts of official misconduct (second-degree).

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 15 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 found Faschan, who was previously charged in February 2021, was assigned to video record the forced cell extractions but purposely did not record certain extractions, failed to intervene to stop or prevent his fellow officers’ improper use of force, failed to report the improper use of force against inmates, and filed a false report about the source of one victim’s injuries, according to authorities.

"It is alleged that Faschan’s misleading special custody report was designed to deceive the DOC into believing that one victim’s forceable cell extraction was justified and her injuries were self-inflicted," according to the OPIA.

The investigation also 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

Faschan faces a sentence of five to 10 years in New Jersey state prison and a fine of $150,000 for the conspiracy charge. Official misconduct can carry a penalty of five to 10 years in prison with five years parole ineligibility and a fine of $150,000. Tampering with public records is punishable by three to five years in prison with two years parole ineligibility and a fine of $15,000.

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

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