Jonah Levi: ex-prison guard jailed for 25 years over killing of inmate at Marcy facility
Ex. Prison guard Jonah Levi has been sentenced to 25 years imprisonment in connection with killing an inmate at Mid-State Correctional Facility in Marcy.
Levi in April was found guilty of murdering inmate Messiah Nantwi.
In total, ten guards were indicted in Nantwi’s death, nine of them have agreed to plea deals.
While Levi received the maximum sentence following the jury finding him guilty in the April verdict on charges including first-degree manslaughter, gang assault, and filing a fictitious instrument. However, the Judge made his acquittal on the murder charge.
An emotional scene unfolded in the Oneida courtroom before the judge announced the verdict, per Localsyr, a local outlet in East Syracuse, NY.
Levi went on to address the court and apologized.
“I am just very remorseful, sir, of everything that happened,”Levi said.
“I don’t think any father should have to bury their son. I feel awful about that,” he continued.
But the Judge appeared unimpressed with Levi’s remorse and criticized Levi for failing to comply with his duties tied to his position as a correction officer.
“You took an oath when you became a corrections officer to protect the people that are sometimes so bad they have to be removed from society,” the Judge remarked. “You, sir, did not.”
After Levi’s sentencing, no further trials are anticipated in the Mid-State case, but more sentencings are still to come.
