CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A former correctional officer in southern West Virginia has pleaded guilty to violating federal civil rights in connection with the death of a man shortly after he was booked into jail.
Mark Holdren entered into a plea agreement in U.S. District Court, where he acknowledged conspiring with fellow officers to assault Quantez Burks at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver as a form of retribution.
Holdren is one of six former jail staff members, including a former lieutenant, who were indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2023. This indictment followed guilty pleas made by two other ex-correctional officers in the case regarding Burks’ beating.
Burks, 37, was admitted to the jail on a charge of wanton endangerment in March 2022. As outlined in court documents, he attempted to leave his housing unit and was subsequently taken to an interview room, where several correctional officers allegedly struck him while he was restrained and in handcuffs.
In his confession, Holdren stated that he was aware the interview room lacked surveillance cameras and understood that other inmates who had misbehaved were often brought there, which allowed officers to use excessive force without being recorded. He also recognized that such actions were improper and constituted wrongful punishment against inmates and pretrial detainees.
Holdren could be sentenced to as many as 30 years in prison and may face a penalty of up to $250,000, although no specific date for sentencing has been set.
Ashley Toney and Jacob Boothe, the other two former officers involved, are scheduled for sentencing in January for their admissions of violating Burks’ civil rights by failing to intervene during the assault. Additionally, ex-officers Steven Wimmer and Andrew Fleshman are to be sentenced in February after accepting guilty pleas for felony conspiracy. Trial proceedings for the remaining three individuals are slated for December 10.
This incident has increased scrutiny on the overall conditions of the Southern Regional Jail, which has faced criticism for its treatment of inmates. In 2022, West Virginia settled a class-action lawsuit for $4 million, in which inmates complained of inhumane conditions including inadequate food and water, overcrowding, and an environment where violence could erupt unchecked.
Following these developments, the administration of Governor Jim Justice terminated the former Executive Officer of the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Brad Douglas, along with Homeland Security Chief Counsel Phil Sword. This action was taken after a federal magistrate highlighted the “deliberate” destruction of records that contributed to a recommended default judgment in the lawsuit. This followed testimonies in October 2023 from current and former corrections officials, including those implicated in the lawsuit, stating that no measures were implemented to preserve essential evidence such as emails and documents.
The state medical examiner’s office has classified Burks’ death primarily as natural causes; however, the family opted for a private autopsy. At a news conference in 2022, the family attorney disclosed that the second autopsy indicated Burks had sustained multiple areas of blunt force trauma throughout his body.