Houston-area ICE officer pleads guilty to abusing migrant detainee
A detention officer accused of abusing a detainee at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Montgomery County pleaded guilty Monday to a misdemeanor charge of using excessive force.
Charles Siringi, 66, was arrested in May and charged with a felony count of deprivation of rights under color of law.
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Siringi was the chief investigator at the Montgomery Processing Center, the private Conroe facility operated by the GEO Group that holds hundreds of migrants while they await court hearings or deportation.
During the attack, Siringi allegedly dragged the man across a room, choked him to the point where he was gasping for air, and slammed his head into a window.
The man suffered scratches on the back of his neck, according to charging documents.
Siringi was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, and other employees told investigators that they believed his use of force was unnecessary.
Siringi was fired by the GEO Group after the original charges were filed in May.
On Monday, the Justice Department filed new charges against Siringi, reducing the charge to a misdemeanor. In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to recommend that Siringi receive probation.
The actual sentence will be up to U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal, who could sentence Siringi to up to one year in prison.
Neither Siringi's attorney nor the Justice Department immediately returned a request for comment. No sentencing date has been scheduled.
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