MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A deputy with the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department facing federal charges was released on bail Friday.
Lance Kuretza, 38, allegedly assaulted and pepper-sprayed a suspect during a January 2018 incident. The suspect was in handcuffs at the time of their arrest. Kuretza is also accused of altering paperwork to state the incident happened before the suspect was handcuffed.
Kuretza will be arraigned in federal court next Thursday at 1 p.m. If convicted, he would face up to 10 years in prison for a civil rights violation and a maximum of 20 years in prison for falsifying the report.