Corrections Officers Met At Wayne Gym To Plan Cover-Up Of Attack On Inmate: Feds

PATERSON, NJ — Two correctional officers face federal charges in an assault of an inmate at the Passaic County Jail in 2021, federal officials said.

Officer Lorenzo Bowden, Sergeant Jose Gonzalez, and Sergeant Donald Vinales all faced charges in the beating, which authorities say stemmed from the inmate spraying urine at another officer. Bowden previously pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to obstruct justice, and a federal grand jury indicted Gonzalez and Vinales on Monday.

Gonzalez and Vinales each face a charge of deprivation of rights under color of law, and a charge of conspiracy to obstruct justice.

Prosecutors claim the trio conspired to assault the pre-trial detainee, who was being held in the Passaic County Jail on weapons charges, then lied to investigators about the circumstances of the attack.

According to Sellinger's office, on Jan. 22, 2021, a detainee "squirted a mixture containing urine" onto a correctional officer. The following day, Gonzalez, Vinales and Bowden led the detainee through an area of the jail that does not have a video surveillance camera, which correctional officers and inmates at the jail have referred to as a “blind spot."

While in that "blind spot," Gonzalez and Vinales assaulted the handcuffed inmate by knocking him to the ground and hitting him several times, Sellinger said. Bowden admitted he did not interfere to prevent the assault, officials said.

One day following the assault, the inmate was taken to a nearby hospital, where injuries from the assault were documented.

According to court records, the guard who was struck by urine-laced fluid from the detainee was identified as "Officer-1." However, the criminal complaint includes no mention of the officer's involvement in the alleged attack or cover-up meeting.

After receiving subpoenas indicating that a federal grand jury was investigating the incident, the three charged officers, along with the two guards who witnessed the alleged attack, allegedly met outside a Wayne gym in April 2022 and agreed not to speak about what happened, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

"During that meeting, some of those who were present stated, in substance and part, that everyone should keep their mouths shut and should say that nothing had happened to Victim-1 (referring to the assault)," Sellinger's office said.

Officials also said that during an interview with federal investigators in October 2022, Bowden falsely stated that the inmate had not been assaulted and that there had not been any meeting or communication among those who participated in or witnessed the assault.

Patch's Vianella Burns contributed to this report.