WASHINGTON (WSAZ) – A corrections officer accused in the death of an inmate has pleaded guilty.

Mark Holdren pleaded guilty in federal court on Wednesday for his role in a 2022 attack linked to the death of an inmate at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia.

Under the plea agreement, Holdren faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Mark Holdren, along with five other corrections officers and a former lieutenant, were charged with covering up the use of unlawful force against an inmate who tried to leave his assigned pod.

Court documents state that Holdren and two other corrections officers began using unlawful force to hit and injure the inmate while he was handcuffed and handcuffed. Court documents also state that two other corrections officers failed to intervene in the unlawful assault, resulting in the inmate’s death.

Holdren also admitted that the interview room where officers brought the inmate was a “blind spot” in the jail because there were no security cameras to record it, according to court records.

The hearing of the remaining three correctional officers charged in connection with the prisoner’s death will be held on December 10.

For previous coverage >>>

Correctional officer charged in inmate’s death signs plea agreement

6 former prison officers charged after prisoner’s death

Copyright 2024 WSAZ. All rights reserved.