NEWARK, N.J. — Two correctional officers from Passaic County were indicted by a federal grand jury today for violating a pretrial detainee’s civil rights and conspiring to obstruct justice, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Sergeants Jose Gonzalez, 45, and Donald Vinales, 38, face charges of deprivation of rights under color of law and conspiracy to obstruct justice. The charges stem from an incident that occurred on January 22, 2021, at the Passaic County Jail (PCJ).
According to the indictment, the incident began when a pretrial detainee at PCJ squirted a mixture containing urine onto a correctional officer. The following day, Gonzalez, Vinales, and other correctional officers transported the detainee through a “blind spot” in the jail, an area without video surveillance. While in this area, Gonzalez and Vinales allegedly assaulted the handcuffed detainee by knocking him to the ground and striking him multiple times. The detainee was taken to a local hospital the day after the assault, where injuries from the incident were documented.
The officers were required to file reports documenting their use of force but failed to do so. In April 2022, after federal grand jury subpoenas were issued, Gonzalez, Vinales, and Correctional Officer Lorenzo Bowden, along with others, met to discuss the investigation. The group agreed not to cooperate with the investigation and planned to falsely claim that nothing had happened to the detainee. During an interview with federal investigators in October 2022, Bowden falsely stated that the detainee had not been assaulted and denied the existence of the meeting.
Bowden pleaded guilty on April 18, 2024, to conspiracy to obstruct justice and is awaiting sentencing.
If convicted, Gonzalez and Vinales each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for the civil rights violation charge and 20 years for the conspiracy to obstruct justice charge. Both charges carry a potential fine of up to $250,000.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, and the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office Division of Internal Affairs, led by Acting Director Gary F. Giardina. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Levin and R. Joseph Gribko.