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Wednesday, July 14, 2004
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Back to headlines
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5 jail guards charged with having sex with inmates

 

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By Robert Baird
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, July 14, 2004

Five Allegheny County Jail guards were charged Tuesday by district attorney investigators with illegally having sex with inmates.

Two correctional officers -- Robert Virgili, 35, of Sarver, Butler County, and Brian Van Dusan, 34, of Bedford Avenue, Hill District -- were charged for the first time with institutional sexual assault.

Three others who had been charged in February -- William Woznichak, 39, of McKees Rocks; Depaul Smith, 49, of Perry North; and Lashawn Walker, 32, of Earl Street, Duquesne -- now face additional charges of institutional sexual assault.

District Justice Charles McLaughlin, of Brookline, arraigned the defendants, who were released on nominal bond pending a hearing, scheduled for 2 p.m. July 22.

Sex between guards and prisoners under their watch is illegal.

The charges bring to 13 the number of guards accused after a grand jury probe and investigation by the office of District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. into illegal sexual conduct by guards at the Second Avenue lockup.

The cases involved the trading of drugs, cigarettes or other prison contraband in exchange for sex, investigators said.

Virgili was accused of having sex with a female inmate in about October 2002, according to the criminal complaint. Van Dusan allegedly had sex with a woman at the lockup in May 2001, the complaint said.

Woznichak was charged with new accusations filed by a male inmate, who said he had sex with him from January 2003 to December 2003, and two female inmates who accused him of having sex with them separately in October 2003 and January 2003.

A female inmate accused Walker of having sex with her in July and August 2002 and October to November 2003. Smith was charged with having sex with a male inmate in December 2002, and from January to December 2003.

Robert Baird can be reached at (412) 391-8650.

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