CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A former correctional officer at the Southern Regional Jail admitted in federal court Wednesday to his role in the March 2022 beating death of inmate Quantez Burks.
Mark Holdren, 40, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy against the rights of the victim, Burks, 37, resulting in bodily injury and death.
The other five charges against Holdren were dismissed in exchange for his cooperation against the three remaining former COs who still face charges.
U.S. Attorney Will Thompson said Holdren has entered a binding plea agreement.
“A binding plea agreement means the court ultimately accepts the plea agreement. The most sentence that Mr. Holdren could receive is 30 years in prison,” U.S. Attorney for Southern West Virginia Will Thompson told MetroNews after Wednesday’s hearing.”
Meanwhile, guilty plea hearings have now been scheduled for two of the three remaining former COs. Both Jonathan Walters and Corey Snyder are scheduled to plead guilty next Tuesday, Nov. 19, beginning at 10 a.m. in federal court in Charleston. That leaves only Chad Lester, a former lieutenant, that still faces a trial on the charges. That’s set for Dec. 10 in Beckley.
Both Thompson and Holdren told U.S. District Judge Joseph Goodwin during Wednesday’s hearing that Burks was not the only inmate at the Southern Regional Jail that was beaten in areas known by the COs as blind spots–away from surveillance video.
“I think our evidence would show that if we did go to trial,” Thompson told MetroNews. “We still have three defendants remaining and I think our evidence will show there was a history of this.
Quantez Burks’ mother Kimberly Burks said outside the Byrd Federal Courthouse in Charleston following the hearing that she’s not surprised.
“They’ve been doing it for years and years. They are not sorry for what they did, they are sorry that they got caught,” Burks said.
Holdren read from the plea agreement that he and another CO were told to come to the sally port because Burks was trying to push his way by jail staff.
“He was on the floor and I began to use force…multiple knee strikes,” Holdren said. He described the his actions as “unreasonable.”
Burks, who was at the jail for less than 24 hours, was then taken to the blind spot, also known as the C-Pod interview room, where he was beaten again. He was then moved to another area of the jail, another blind spot, where he was beaten.
Burks would later die.
Holdren said he conspired with others to injure Burks and to cover it up.
Judge Goodwin said from the bench Wednesday that he’s not a big fan of binding plea agreements.
“I will want to know if he has been helpful,” Goodwin told federal prosecutors referring to Holdren’s cooperation in the ongoing investigation.
Holdren will be sentenced Feb. 5.
Five former correctional officers — Holdren, Ashley Toney, Jacob Boothe, Cory Snyder and Johnathan Walters — were charged in connection with an assault on Burks.
All five corrections officers, as well as Lester, were also charged for covering up the use of unlawful force.
Two of the guards, Toney and Boothe, pleaded guilty this past August to allegations that they violated Burks’ constitutional right by not protecting him from unreasonable force from corrections officers.
Two more corrections officers, Andrew Fleshman and Steven Nicholas Wimmer, last November pleaded guilty to conspiracy against the rights of citizens under federal code because of their actions in the death of Burks.
Kimberly Burks said Wednesday she has learned to accept the plea bargains in hopes that what was the pattern at the Southern Regional Jail never happens again.
“There are so many things that will equal up to justice for us,” she told MetroNews. “We may have to take from here to get this or take from somewhere else, but as long as something is done and they are held accountable maybe we can prevent something like this from happening again.”