A former New York prison guard was found guilty of several charges in the beating death of an inmate last year at Mid-State Correctional Facility, near Utica.
A jury found Jonah Levi guilty of manslaughter, assault and other charges for his role in killing Messiah Nantwi. Levi was acquitted of second-degree murder.
Levi was the first guard accused in Nantwi’s death to face trial.
In a statement, Nantwi’s father, Patterson, said Wednesday’s verdict “sets an important precedent – not just for Messiah, but for everyone who is incarcerated.”
Nantwi’s death in March 2025 came three months after another inmate, Robert Brooks, was beaten to death by officers at the nearby Marcy Correctional Facility.
Their deaths prompted Gov. Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers to pass prison reforms last year.