West Virginia jail officers plead guilty to conspiracy charge in fatal assault on inmate

By JOHN RABY
Associated Press

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Two West Virginia corrections officers have pleaded guilty to a federal charge stemming from the fatal beating of an inmate. Southern Regional Jail officers Andrew Fleshman and Steven Wimmer entered the pleas to a conspiracy charge Thursday. They face up to 10 years in prison. The officers were accused of conspiring to deny Quantez Burks’ right to due process. Court records show Burks was assaulted twice after he tried to leave his housing unit. He died less than a day after he was booked into the jail on a wanton endangerment charge. The case has brought scrutiny to conditions and the number of deaths at the jail.