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Two Passaic County jail officers charged with alleged assault in 2021

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Two Passaic County correctional officers were indicted Monday by a federal grand jury on charges stemming from an alleged assault on a pretrial inmate in 2021, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced.

Jose Gonzalez, 45, and Donald Vinales, 38, were charged with violating the civil rights of a pretrial detainee and conspiracy to obstruct justice.

On January 21, 2021, a Passaic County Jail inmate sprayed “a urine-containing mixture” on a police officer, the indictment states.

The next day, Gonzalez and Vinales, along with other police officers, took the inmate to a so-called “blind spot,” an area of ​​the county jail where there were no video surveillance cameras. According to the district attorney's indictment, they assaulted the inmate by throwing him to the ground and continuing to beat him while he was handcuffed.

The arrested man was taken to a local hospital the next day for injuries he sustained in the attack, officials said.

The police officers never provided documentation of their use of force, although they were obliged to submit a corresponding report, the Attorney General explained.

In connection with the investigation into the attack, the defendants were served with federal grand jury subpoenas in April 2022.

Gonzalez, Vinales and other officials met and agreed not to cooperate with the federal investigation and to deny the attack, the indictment says.

Correctional Officer Lorenzo Bowden was one of the officers involved in that meeting and falsely stated that the inmate was not assaulted in October 2022.

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Bowden pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obstruct justice in April of this year and is awaiting sentencing.

Gonzalez and Vinales face two counts of indictment: one count of deprivation of rights under cover of law and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice.

Conspiracy to obstruct justice carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, and deprivation of rights under the guise of law carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years.

Previous reports showed Vinales, who lives in Hardyston, has a salary of $150,185 and has worked for the sheriff's office since 2009. Gonzalez, of Totowa, earns $157,258 and started with the department in 2003. Bowden, of Totowa, earns $119,648 and joined the sheriff's office in 2014.

The Passaic County Jail has since been closed as it merged with the Bergen County Corrections and Rehabilitation Center in 2021.

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