**Four Prison Guards Plead Guilty in Death of Black Inmate at Upstate New York Prison**
*UTICA, N.Y.* — Four prison guards pleaded guilty Monday in connection with the death of Robert Brooks, a Black inmate whose brutal beating at the Marcy Correctional Facility in Oneida County, New York, was captured on body camera footage.
The pleas came just two weeks before the scheduled trial for a group of guards accused in Brooks’ death. The 43-year-old was pummeled while handcuffed on December 9, 2024, sparking public outrage and calls for prison reform.
Four of the ten guards indicted in February remain set to stand trial beginning October 6, including three charged with murder. Two guards facing top charges of murder pleaded guilty in a Utica court to lesser charges of first-degree manslaughter.
Under plea agreements, Nicholas Anzalone and Anthony Farina—both of whom have resigned—will be sentenced to 22 years in state prison on November 21.
Two additional men charged with second-degree manslaughter also pleaded guilty. Michael Mashaw, who has resigned, is set to be sentenced to three to nine years in prison. David Walters will receive a sentence ranging from two years and four months up to seven years; his employment status remains unclear.
Brooks had been serving a 12-year sentence for first-degree assault since 2017 and was transferred to Marcy Correctional Facility from a nearby lockup on the night of the incident. The bodycam videos show Brooks being struck in the chest with a shoe, lifted by his neck, and then dropped.
The first guilty plea in the case was made in May, when Christopher Walrath, a guard charged with murder who has since resigned, pleaded guilty to manslaughter under a deal with prosecutors. Walrath was sentenced to 15 years in prison in August.
Another guard pleaded guilty later in May to attempted tampering with physical evidence and received a one-year conditional discharge.
The special prosecutor handling the case is Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick. He is also prosecuting guards involved in the fatal beating of Messiah Nantwi on March 1 at the Mid-State Correctional Facility, another lockup managed by the state.
Both Marcy Correctional Facility and Mid-State Correctional Facility are located approximately 180 miles northwest of New York City.
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https://www.phillytrib.com/news/state_and_region/four-guards-plead-guilty-in-brutal-beating-death-of-black-inmate-at-new-york-prison/article_e10f58cb-3d20-41da-af6f-454159da936e.html