WESTOVER, Md.– Daric Evans, 32, a correctional officer at the Eastern Correctional Institution (ECI) in Westover, Maryland, pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiring to obstruct justice, relating to the concealment of evidence regarding an inmate's assault.
According to court documents, on July 12, 2021, Evans discovered that a fellow officer, Samuel Warren, had used force against an inmate at ECI. Evans responded to the scene and assisted in escorting the injured inmate for medical evaluation, during which the inmate claimed he had been assaulted by Officer Warren. Prosecutors say Evans and other officers, including David Quillen, participated in a strip search of the inmate, during which Quillen filmed the process. According to attorneys, the inmate was fully compliant during the strip search, and was caught on video crying with a bloodied face.
Following the strip search, Evans and several officers watched Quillen's video, which depicted the inmate's injuries. Prosecutors say a supervisory officer suggested deleting the video. According to the Department of Justice, Quillen agreed and subsequently deleted it, with Evans and others consenting to a cover-up story to explain its absence.
In the aftermath, authorities say Evans and his colleagues agreed to deceive investigators about the video's disappearance. Evans admitted to lying to both state and federal investigators regarding the video's whereabouts and circumstances.
Evans faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy to obstruct justice. Sentencing is scheduled for June 27, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett.
Samuel Warren, 38, of Westover previously pleaded guilty to federal offenses related to the inmate assault and awaits sentencing on June 11, 2024. David Quillen, 37, of Ocean View also pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the video deletion and is set for sentencing on May 22, 2024.