CORRECTION OFFICER PLEADS GUILTY TO CONSPIRACY TO OBSTRUCT JUSTICE AND DESTRUCTION OF RECORDS RELATED TO COVER-UP OF EXCESSIVE FORCE
Westover, MD - David Quillen, a 37-year-old correctional officer from Ocean View, Delaware, formally admitted guilt in federal court today for his involvement in obstructing an investigation into the excessive use of force by a fellow officer at Eastern Correctional Institution (ECI). Quillen's guilty plea to conspiracy to obstruct justice and destruction of records sheds light on the cover-up following an assault on an inmate within the facility.
The admission was disclosed by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek L. Barron, alongside Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, and Acting Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI Baltimore Field Office.
Court documents reveal that on July 12, 2021, Quillen learned of an incident in which Officer Samuel Warren had assaulted an inmate. Responding to the scene with his video camera, Quillen captured footage of the aftermath wherein the inmate accused Warren of assaulting him "for no reason." The recording showed the inmate in distress, crying, and with visible bloodstains.
Upon reviewing the footage with other officers, a supervisor remarked that the content was damning for Warren and suggested its deletion. Quillen, agreeing with Warren and other officers to fabricate a story, proceeded to erase the video, despite knowing it contained evidence of Warren's unlawful behavior.
Following the erasure, Quillen perpetuated falsehoods regarding the whereabouts of the recording, misleading not only ECI administrators but also state and federal investigative bodies.
Officer Warren has subsequently acknowledged the unlawful nature of his actions, pleading guilty to related federal charges.
Quillen's sentencing is set for May 22, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett and he confronts a maximum of five years for the conspiracy charge and up to 20 years for the record destruction.
Recognizing the efforts of the investigating agencies, U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke extend their gratitude to the FBI and the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for their role in unraveling the case.
Special acknowledgments were also given to the state department for its cooperation, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Marquardt, Trial Attorney Erin Monju of the Civil Rights Division's Criminal Section, and Special Legal Counsel Mark Blumberg for their prosecutorial contributions.
The admission was disclosed by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek L. Barron, alongside Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, and Acting Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI Baltimore Field Office.
Court documents reveal that on July 12, 2021, Quillen learned of an incident in which Officer Samuel Warren had assaulted an inmate. Responding to the scene with his video camera, Quillen captured footage of the aftermath wherein the inmate accused Warren of assaulting him "for no reason." The recording showed the inmate in distress, crying, and with visible bloodstains.
Upon reviewing the footage with other officers, a supervisor remarked that the content was damning for Warren and suggested its deletion. Quillen, agreeing with Warren and other officers to fabricate a story, proceeded to erase the video, despite knowing it contained evidence of Warren's unlawful behavior.
Following the erasure, Quillen perpetuated falsehoods regarding the whereabouts of the recording, misleading not only ECI administrators but also state and federal investigative bodies.
Officer Warren has subsequently acknowledged the unlawful nature of his actions, pleading guilty to related federal charges.
Quillen's sentencing is set for May 22, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett and he confronts a maximum of five years for the conspiracy charge and up to 20 years for the record destruction.
Recognizing the efforts of the investigating agencies, U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke extend their gratitude to the FBI and the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for their role in unraveling the case.
Special acknowledgments were also given to the state department for its cooperation, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Marquardt, Trial Attorney Erin Monju of the Civil Rights Division's Criminal Section, and Special Legal Counsel Mark Blumberg for their prosecutorial contributions.
