SYRACUSE (AP) -- A former upstate New York jail official who was caught on video assaulting an inmate cuffed to a bench has pleaded guilty to federal charges.
U.S. Attorney Richard Hartunian says David Monell, who was a lieutenant at the Tioga County Jail, admitted Friday that he deprived inmate David Coffey of his civil rights during the June 21, 2010 attack.
Monell is shown on video punching Coffey and pushing him against a wall. Coffey suffered scrapes, a swollen jaw and vision problems. The county settled a lawsuit by Coffey for $62,000.
The 52-year-old Monell resigned two days after the beating and a day after being honored as the state Senate "2010 Corrections Officer of the Year."
He faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 when he is sentenced December 18.
(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
