Carson Morris, a former correction officer at Downstate Correctional Facility in Fishkill, was sentenced to 40 months in prison for his role in beating an inmate and then falsifying records to cover it up.

Morris was one of five former officers to be convicted of involvement in the Nov. 12, 2013 incident, in which Kevin Moore sustained multiple serious injuries, and the fourth to be sentenced.

Morris pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law; one count of conspiracy to deprive civil rights; one count of falsifying documents; and one count of conspiring to falsify documents, on Nov. 1, 2017. He was sentenced Thursday, according to a press release by Geoffrey Berman, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Berman said Morris repeatedly hit Moore as he lay restrained on the floor, in a "gang-style assault." Moore was then hospitalized for two weeks with facial bone fractures, five broken ribs and a collapsed lung.

"Morris and other officers then made up a false cover story to hide what they did, repeatedly lying in Corrections Department records and even creating a phony injury," Berman said. "All American citizens, including prisoners, are protected by the Constitution."

All five former officers involved were found guilty of the same charges. Kathy Scott and George Santiago Jr. were convicted after a nine-day trial in federal court on Nov. 20, 2017. On July 21, Scott was sentenced to 100 months in prison, and Santiago to 87 months in prison.

Andrew Lowery and Donald Cosman pleaded guilty to the charges. On July 25, Lowery was sentenced to a three-year term of supervised release. Cosman has yet to be sentenced.

According to the evidence introduced during the trial, Berman's release said, Moore was brought to the 1D Housing Unit at Downstate Correctional Facility to be housed overnight, before being transported to New York City for a court appearance.

A verbal dispute between Moore, who was 54 at the time, and a group of correction officers ensued after Moore objected to the cell he was assigned to, referring to himself as a "monster."

Multiple officers, including Morris, then forced Moore to the floor before repeatedly punching and kicking him in the head and body. According to the attorney general's office, at no point did Moore try to attack, touch or make threatening gestures at the officers.

Medical evidence presented at trial showed that Moore received at least four forceful blows to the face and torso, including "one crushing strike to the right eye that was consistent with a kick from a boot."

During the assault, Moore repeatedly cried out in pain and begged the officers to stop, the release said.

Afterward, the correction officers orchestrated a cover up by creating a false story that Moore had attacked one of officers, pushing them and causing them to fall onto a table and injure their back, and that one of the officers had to strike Moore once in the head, the release said.

To make this lie appear true, Santiago hit one of the other officers repeatedly on the back with a baton. Scott then photographed the fake injury, and prepared a false use of force report using the photos and false statements from the officers.

Scott and Santiago then repeatedly pressured other officers to lie to investigators about what had occurred, according to the release.

"Correction officers are not above the law, and when they beat inmates in their custody and lie about it, they are criminals and will be punished as criminals," Berman said.

Ryan Santistevan: rsantistev@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4809; Twitter: @SantistevanRyan

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