Former Westmoreland jail guard pleads guilty to conspiring in assault of inmate

Jan. 16—A former jail guard pleaded guilty Tuesday for his role in the assault of an inmate at Westmoreland County Prison.

Prosecutors said Brian J. Prinkey, 26, of Connellsville, was working as a corrections officer on Aug. 20, 2022, when he conspired with two inmates who were accused of beating a man in his cell.

Prinkey pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to commit simple assault and official oppression.

Witnesses told investigators Prinkey had a discussion with two inmates and an hour later gave a thumbs-up signal and used a control panel to open a door to the victim's cell as he slept.

One inmate conducted the assault as another watched while Prinkey continued his guard rounds and did not respond as the targeted inmate called for help, according to police.

According to court records, the assault victim was awaiting trial on charges that he raped a child and was treated at a local hospital for his injuries.

Prinkey was fired as a guard in the aftermath of the incident, county officials said. He will remain free on an unsecured bond until he is sentenced in about three months.

Vincent T. Green, 32, of New Kensington and Nicholas Haynes, 27, of Mt. Pleasant pleaded guilty last year to simple assault for their roles in the attack and were sentenced to serve just less than one to two years in jail.

Green, who police said watched as Haynes assaulted the inmate, was at the jail awaiting trial on drug charges at the time of the incident. Haynes was awaiting trial on harassment and robbery charges, according to court records. He was acquitted in 2021 of murder charges related to a 2018 fatal shooting in Arnold.

Rich Cholodofsky is a TribLive reporter covering Westmoreland County government, politics and courts. He can be reached at rcholodofsky@triblive.com.