Two Former West Virginia Corrections Officers Plead Guilty in Inmate Death Case

Beaver, WV – Two former corrections officers from the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, pleaded guilty today to their roles in an assault that led to the death of an inmate, identified by the initials Q.B., on March 1, 2022. Ashley Toney and Jacob Boothe admitted to violating Q.B.’s civil rights by failing to intervene during the assault by other correctional officers.

According to their plea agreements, both Toney and Boothe responded to a call for officer assistance after Q.B. attempted to leave his assigned pod. The inmate was restrained and handcuffed by the officers, including Toney and Boothe, before being escorted to an interview room. Once inside the room, Toney and Boothe witnessed other officers striking Q.B. while he was restrained, causing injuries to the inmate. The assault, according to their admissions, was a form of punishment for Q.B.’s attempt to leave the pod.

Both Toney and Boothe acknowledged that they were aware that officers are prohibited from using unreasonable force to punish inmates, including pretrial detainees, and that they had a duty to intervene to stop such force. Toney further admitted that the interview room was a “blind spot” within the jail, meaning it lacked surveillance cameras, allowing officers to use unreasonable force without being recorded. She also admitted to providing false information during the investigation into Q.B.’s death to protect the officers involved and failing to report the excessive use of force to state investigators.

Toney and Boothe were among six former correctional officers indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2023. The trial for the remaining four defendants is scheduled for October 8.

In a related development, two other former officers from the Southern Regional Jail, Steven Nicholas Wimmer and Andrew Fleshman, pleaded guilty on November 2, 2023, to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Q.B.

Toney and Boothe entered their guilty pleas before U.S. District Court Judge Joseph R. Goodwin. Sentencing hearings for both are scheduled for November 4. Each faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney William S. Thompson for the Southern District of West Virginia, and Special Agent in Charge Kevin P. Rojek of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office is leading the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, along with Deputy Criminal Chief Monica Coleman for the Southern District of West Virginia.

Rear View of a Silhouette Man in WindowPhoto byDonald Tong