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Three former corrections officers from Marcy Correctional Facility in Utica have rejected plea deals and will face trial for manslaughter. The officers, Michael Fisher, Michael Mashaw, and David Walters, are accused of involvement in the fatal beating of inmate Robert Brooks last December. Prosecutors offered them plea deals with prison terms ranging from three to 12 years, but the officers declined, opting to go to trial. They now face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
The incident involving Brooks, who was transferred from Mohawk Correctional Facility to Marcy Correctional Facility on December 9, 2024, was captured on bodycam video. The footage reportedly shows officers punching, kicking, and grabbing Brooks by the neck. Brooks died the following day from his injuries.
A fourth officer, Nicholas Gentile, accepted a plea deal for tampering with physical evidence. He admitted to cleaning Brooks' blood without documenting it and received a one-year conditional discharge. Gentile must also resign from his position with the New York State Department of Corrections & Community Supervision.
According to CNY Central, three other former officers, Anthony Farina, Nicholas Kieffer, and David Kingsley, also rejected plea deals and will face trial for murder, facing potential sentences of 25 years to life in prison. The trials for all involved officers are scheduled to begin in early June.