CLEARFIELD – During colloquy court Monday, three former inmates of the state prison in Houtzdale were sentenced in separate cases for assaulting employees at the facility.
Dennis Leslie Smith, 30, pleaded guilty to felony assault by prisoner on facility employee and harassment for his actions at the prison on Jan. 9.
According to his affidavit, he became disruptive during a group session. As he was being escorted out, he attempted to pull away and was put on the ground. He refused to comply with verbal commands.
While the officers tried to get control of Smith, he bit a CO on the right bicep, breaking his skin. As he continued to resist, he kicked the same CO in the groin.
Smith was sentenced by President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman to 18 months to 4½ years in state prison. This term will run consecutive to his current sentence.
Brandon Alan Austill, 37, was sentenced to a consecutive term of 24 months to four years in state prison for felony assault by prisoner on facility employee and harassment, after he pleaded guilty.
The criminal complaint in this case details how on Nov. 20, Austill became upset in the kitchen area after an employee told him “to quit telling on other inmates and do the job he was supposed to be doing.”
Austill threw his hat on the floor and stated that he was “not a rat.” When the employee told him to follow him into the dining hall to talk about it, Austill walked up to the employee and punched him in the left side of his face.
The employee tried to take Austill to the ground while Austill continued to punch the employee.
After other employees broke up the encounter, Austill stated that “this isn’t over” and threatened to kill him.
Austill is now in SCI Phoenix.
Yafest Muhammad Oliver, 34, was one of several inmates who kicked and punched corrections officers at the prison in a riot in April of 2015.
Four officers who were injured that day had to be taken to UPMC Altoona for treatment and the facility was on lock down for about eight hours, according to previous reports.
After signing a plea in June of 2016, he claimed he was innocent and wanted to take the case to trial. Instead in July of this year, he signed another plea agreement.
Ammerman sentenced him to 6½ to 13 years in state prison for four felony counts each of aggravated assault and assault by prisoner.
This will run concurrent with his current sentence.
Oliver is now serving his 20- to 40-year state prison sentence for a 2008 murder in Philadelphia in SCI Dallas.