COVID-19 Outbreak: Two infected Hispanic males forced into general pop. at Seattle federal prison

SEATTLE, Sept. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the U.S. District Court for the Nevada District docketed case updates on a lawsuit filed against the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a Seattle federal detention center (FDC SeaTac), a Seattle law firm (Foster Garvey), and the FDC's warden (Israel Jacquez), unveiled COVID-19 spreading within the prison, including two Hispanic male inmates were obliged to remain in the general prisoner population, after the prison's health services staff knew they tested positive for the coronavirus, as asymptomatic COVID-19 individuals, able to easily infect other prisoners and prison staff unknowingly.

PRIOR NEWS ON BLACK PRISONER AT FDC SEATAC INFECTED WITH COVID-19 CAUSING LOCK DOWN

This COVID-19 pandemic prison (outbreak) news follows last month's reporting on civil action, Cary Lee Peterson, et. al. v. John Doe 1, et al., C.A. No. 20-cv-00808 (9th Cir. USDC Nevada), regarding 'Black Political Prisoner Seeks Bail Pending Appeal After COVID-19 Infection Attack at Seattle FDC' (https://news.yahoo.com/black-political-prisoner-seeks-bail-081700180.html )- an extraordinary situation where an African American prisoner, identified as "Nathaniel Durant", had tested positive for the coronavirus upon arrival at FDC SeaTac, July 17- shortly after, assigned to the same prison cell as African-American civil rights lobbyist Cary Lee Peterson, despite the prison unit having twenty empty cells, according to court papers for Peterson's COVID-19 emergency relief motion, that was were initially denied by United States Circuit Justice Theodore McKee, but less than a week later, refiled under seal by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and is now under priority review.

HISPANIC INMATE DIAGNOSED WITH COVID-19 BY PRISON BUT NEVER TOLD HE WAS INFECTED

The court record shows that Hispanic inmate "Jesus Perez" was diagnosed as an asymptomatic COVID-19 individual, July 29, 2020- and as a result was granted a 90-day home confinement pass by the prison health services staff. But at no time was Perez told by anyone at the Bureau of Prisons that he had the COVID-19 virus, or was discharged for ninety days of home confinement, July 29.

However, Perez discovered this fact after the U.S. Attorney in Montana made an erroneous court filing in criminal court proceedings for Perez' compassionate release, which FDC SeaTac Warden Jacquez denied in August; weeks after the FDC's "RN" ("Figueroa") had approved Perez for a 90-day home confinement pass, July 29- a finding unveiled on court record filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office, August 27, 2020 (i.e. United States v. Jesus Alberto Perez, Case No. 98-cr-00017-CCL, 9th Cir. USDC-MT, ECF Doc. No. 432-1 at 171-173). In addition, the BOP erroneously began sending Perez' prisoner mail to his mother's address in Kennewick, WA., presumably because the BOP health services staff had [previously] granted a 90-day home confinement pass- but Perez had remained at FDC SeaTac at all times.

HISPANIC INMATE TESTING POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 AT CDC FORCED TO SURRENDER TO FDC DAYS LATER

Another Hispanic male inmate identified as "Oscar Lopez," arrived to FDC SeaTac, after testing positive for the COVID-19 virus at a CDC drive-thru testing center in July. However, Lopez was required to turn himself into the prison for a parole violation for a non-violent offense, despite him telling his probation officer that he was infected and had only done self-quarantining for a couple of weeks prior to his turn-in date. As, Peterson, Durant, and Perez- presently Lopez remains in general population of FDC SeaTac's "QADRE" unit; described as a 70-to-80 inmate unit where a majority of the prisoners leave the unit (or prison) daily for jobs authorized by the warden.

Federal Bureau of Prisons' population report for September 4, 2020 shows a total of 649 prisoners at FDC SeaTac- a significant increase from the 585 prisoners there, July 17, when Durant arrived to the FDC, infected with the COVID-19 virus, as previously reported last month (http://tinyurl.com/fdc-seatac ).

OTHER COVID-19 OUTBREAK FINDING & DISCOVERY FROM COURT RECORD

Court papers evinced (additional) disclosure of a Caucasian prisoner, 69 years old, identified as "Bruce Lewis," another non-violence offender, imprisoned for a white-collar crime in New York's Southern District, stating that he requested a COVID-19 test three times since June, but was told by prison health services staff that he could not be tested because the COVID-19 test kits were outdated. Lewis' feedback in Peterson's lawsuit was followed by a prison laundry worker who stated that there were over forty COVID-19 infected inmates in the "FA Unit," which made him uncomfortable because the prison had an insufficient supply of 'P.P.E.' to handle the dirty laundry of the several infected [newly arrived] inmates in isolation.

In Perez' case (USA v. Perez, USDC-MT, ECF Doc. No. 431 at 8), Assistant U.S. Attorney Stewart (Montana) stated: "As of August 26, 2020...there are 1,461 federal inmates and 648 BOP staff confirmed positive test results for COVID-19 nationwide. Currently, 10,443 inmates and 896 staff have recovered." (i.e. about 9% of the 127,177 federal prisoner population at BOP managed institutions, had been infected with COVID-19 virus pursuant to BOP population statistics dated August 27, 2020.)

Ironically the 'Peterson v Doe 1 Lawsuit' updates reference a BOP senior employee whose kin of Peterson's sentencing judge Anne E. Thompson in New Jersey- identified as the associate director for the federal prison bureau's entire technology division, responsible for everything from the prisoner law research software; and prisoner record management and inmate mail, for Perez, Peterson, and all federal prisoners with the BOP prisoner population.  Consequently Peterson's civil action filed in Nevada federal court, April, for civil rights claims related to cruel and unusual punishment (related to a 120 day COVID-19 prisoner-cell lockdown), "franking" and altering and obstructing legal mail, and erroneous prisoner records resulting from an incomplete presentence report and other mandatory sentencing procedures [i.e. Rule 32(i)(3); ECF Doc. 170]  (under special review by multiple federal circuits), remain in limbo, without remedy, for political prisoner Cary Peterson, Mexican prisoner Jesus Perez, and other federal inmates at FDC SeaTac.

See court papers relevant to this news content here.

Media Contact:
Amanda Liu (publicist)
Robert Peterson Fields & Associates
[T:] +1 (213) 986-4414; or
[E:] liu.amanda@rpflegal.com

Keywords:
FDC SeaTac, Covid 19 Prison Outbreak, Foster Garvey, Bureau of Prisons Lawsuit, Covid 19 Lawsuit, Cary Lee Peterson, SeaTac Prison, Seattle Prison, Levin TV, Mark Levin Show, Dan Bongino, Dori Monson, Todd Herman