W.Va. Correction official who was sentenced to prison after the death of the inmate in 2022

West Virginia (WCHS) – A former official of the regional prisons in Southern Regional Jail was sentenced to several years in prison on Thursday, after he was guilty of an attack that led to the death of an inmate in 2022, the prosecutors said.

The 25-year-old Steven Nicholas Wimmer from Bluefield was sentenced to nine years in prison after he was guilty of blurring himself with other civil servants, an inappropriate violence against the 37-year-old Quantz Burks in March 2022, as can be seen from the release of the US Ministry of Justice.

The prosecutors said Wimmer admitted that he had answered an auxiliary call after Burks allegedly drove another officer in prison. He and several other officers then held back and captivated Burks with handcuffs before led him to an interview room in which several officers beat Burks, who held back and at that time did not represent a threat. At that time, Burks was waiting for the trail and was in prison for less than 24 hours.

Wimmer, together with the former prison officer Andrew Flesman, owed himself in November 2023 to conspire with other officers to apply inappropriate violence against Burks. The following year, the former prison officers Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder and Johnathan Walters also announced themselves.

After Wimmer's release from prison, he will face three years of supervision.

The former lieutenant in the Southern Regional prison, Chad Lester, was convicted of three disabilities in January for his role in trying to cover up Burks and is expected to be convicted on May 15.

Other former officers Holdren, Snyder and Walters are to be convicted on June 16, while Ashley Toney and Jacob Boothe, who are guilty of violating Burk, are to be convicted on June 9.