Three Passaic County jail officers violated an inmate’s civil rights by beating them in retaliation for the inmate throwing a fluid mixture containing urine on a coworker, according to charges filed by the U.S. Justice Department.
Corrections officers Jose Gonzalez, 45, Donald Vinales, 38, and Lorenzo Bowden, 39, were arrested on Wednesday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Each is charged with deprivation of rights under color of law and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Bowden is separately charged with one count of making false statements.
Gonzalez and Vinales are both sergeants on the correctional officer staff, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. All three were scheduled for an initial appearance in Newark federal court on Wednesday.
The Passaic County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday said all three officers have been suspended without pay, adding that it enforces a zero-tolerance policy over offenses committed by its staff members.
“These are truly disturbing allegations and we are pleased was fully investigated,” Bill Maer, a spokesman for the agency, said in a statement. “From the very start of this matter, the sheriff’s office assisted the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI as needed.”
Prosecutors allege the trio conspired to assault an inmate being held on weapons offenses, later lying to investigators about the circumstances surrounding the attack that happened on Jan. 22, 2021.
An unnamed corrections officer was struck by fluid containing urine from the inmate, who was not identified by the Justice Department.
The following day, the inmate was led to a section of the jail not furnished with security cameras where they were beaten while handcuffed by Gonzalez and Vinales, according to a criminal complaint. Bowden observed the assault and did not intervene, the complaint states.
The inmate was treated at a local hospital for their injuries.
The Justice Department alleges the group met in April 2022 after receiving grand jury subpoenas and conspired to tell investigators that the inmate hadn’t been assaulted. They also denied witnessing any attack while being interviewed.
The men face a maximum of 30 years in prison for their charges. Bowden separately faces an additional five-year maximum sentence for providing false statements to investigators.
Attorneys for Bowden and Vinales did not immediately return a phone call from NJ Advance Media seeking comments. Attempts to reach Gonzalez’s attorney were unsuccessful.
Gonzalez has been employed with the jail since 2004, while Bowden was hired in 2015, according to state pension records, which did not have information available on Vinales.
Stories by Eric Conklin
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Eric Conklin may be reached at econklin@njadvancemedia.com.