By Jon Moss
syracuse.com
UTICA, N.Y. — A former New York state corrections officer was sentenced Tuesday in connection with the fatal beating of an inmate last year at a Central New York prison.
Oneida County Court Judge Michael Nolan sentenced the former officer, Thomas Eck, to nine months in the county jail.
Eck previously pleaded guilty to first-degree offering a false instrument for filing. He had been indicted on that charge, as well as first-degree manslaughter, first-degree gang assault, second-degree gang assault, tampering with physical evidence and two counts of fifth-degree conspiracy.
He was the last defendant to be sentenced in the death of inmate Messiah Nantwi at the Mid-State Correctional Facility in Marcy.
A series of corrections officers were accused of delivering multiple beatings to Nantwi at the prison on March 1, 2025.
The corrections officers used their fists, batons and boots to strike Nantwi after he had acted up during a count of inmates, according to Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick, who is a special prosecutor in the case.
Nantwi suffered 69 blows to his body, including to his head, the doctor who performed his autopsy testified.
The officers then took various actions to cover up what happened, Fitzpatrick said. They are accused of falsifying forms and meeting the following day at a local diner to agree on a false story.
Another scheme was to try to blame Nantwi for the beating by claiming he was armed.
A sergeant asked the corrections officers for a volunteer to claim the weapon was found with Nantwi, prosecutors said. Eck agreed.
Ten officers were indicted in the case, including two for murder. They and five others were charged with manslaughter.
Another six people have agreed to become cooperating witnesses for the prosecution.
Nine of the indicted officers reached plea deals with prosecutors.
The one officer who went to trial in the case, Jonah Levi, was convicted on most of the charges he faced, including first-degree manslaughter.
Charges, pleas and sentences in the Nantwi case:
- Nicholas Vitale: He pleaded guilty to first-degree offering of a false instrument for filing. He was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge. He was indicted on fifth-degree conspiracy and first-degree offering of a false instrument for filing.
- Daniel Burger: He pleaded guilty to first-degree offering of a false instrument for filing. He was sentenced to 1 1/3 to 4 years in state prison. He was indicted on first-degree manslaughter, first-degree gang assault, second-degree gang assault, fifth-degree conspiracy and first-degree offering of a false instrument for filing.
- Sgt. Donald Slawson: He pleaded guilty to attempted tampering with physical evidence. He was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge. He was indicted on tampering with physical evidence.
- Sgt. David Ferrone: He pleaded guilty to tampering with physical evidence. He was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge. He was indicted on second-degree manslaughter, first-degree offering of a false instrument for filing, tampering with physical evidence and two counts of fifth-degree conspiracy.
- Sgt. Francis Chandler Jr.: He pleaded guilty to second-degree gang assault in exchange for a four-year sentence in state prison. He was indicted on second-degree gang assault, second-degree manslaughter, two counts of fifth-degree conspiracy, first-degree offering of a false instrument for filing and tampering with physical evidence
- Adam Joseph: He pleaded guilty as charged to official misconduct. He was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge.
- Frank Jacobs: He pleaded guilty as charged to official misconduct. He was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge.
- Sgt. Michael Iffert: He pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree offering of a false instrument for filing. He was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge. He was indicted on first-degree offering of a false instrument for filing.
- Nathan Palmer: He pleaded guilty as charged to hindering prosecution and falsifying business records. He was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge.
- Joshua Bartlett: He pleaded guilty as charged to hindering prosecution and falsifying business records. He was sentenced to one year in the county jail. He also faces unrelated sexual abuse charges.
- Caleb Blair: He pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter. He was indicted on second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, first-degree gang assault, second-degree gang assault, fifth-degree conspiracy and first-degree offering of a false instrument for filing. He was sentenced to 11 years in state prison.
- Craig Klemick: He pleaded guilty to first-degree offering of a false instrument for filing. He was indicted on first-degree manslaughter, first-degree gang assault, second-degree gang assault, fifth-degree conspiracy and first-degree offering of a false instrument for filing. He was sentenced to nine months in the county jail.
- Thomas Eck: He pleaded guilty to first-degree offering of a false instrument for filing. He was indicted on first-degree manslaughter, first-degree gang assault, second-degree gang assault, first-degree offering of a false instrument for filing, tampering with physical evidence and two counts of fifth-degree conspiracy. He was sentenced to nine months in the county jail.
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