Two former corrections officers from the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, pleaded guilty today for their roles in an assault that resulted in the death of an inmate identified by the initials Q.B. on March 1, 2022. Ashley Toney and Jacob Boothe each admitted to violating inmate Q.B.’s civil rights by failing to intervene to protect him from being physically assaulted by other correctional officers.
According to their plea agreements, Toney and Boothe separately responded to a call for officer assistance after Q.B. attempted to push past another correctional officer and leave his assigned pod. Upon arrival, officers restrained and handcuffed Q.B., then escorted him to an interview room where Toney and Boothe watched as other officers struck and injured Q.B. while he was restrained, handcuffed, and posed no threat. Both admitted that the actions taken against Q.B. were intended as punishment for attempting to leave his assigned pod.
Toney further acknowledged that she knew the interview room was a “blind spot” with no surveillance cameras, allowing officers to use unreasonable force without video evidence leading to accountability. She also admitted providing false information during the investigation into Q.B.’s death and conspiring with other officers to instruct fellow officers to give false information.
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 Oct. 8.
Previously, former Southern Regional Jail officers Steven Nicholas Wimmer and Andrew Fleshman had pleaded guilty on Nov. 2, 2023, for conspiring with other officers to use unreasonable force against Q.B.
Toney and Boothe entered their pleas before U.S. District Court Judge Joseph R. Goodwin today. Sentencing hearings are set for Nov. 4; they each face 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 investigating this case.
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 are prosecuting this case.