A federal grand jury has indicted two former healthcare workers on federal hate crime charges. The men worked at a Beaver County nursing facility for people with severe physical and intellectual disabilities.
Zachary Dinell and Tyler Smith are indicted with assault, endangerment and other counts.
Both Dinell and Smith are named in lawsuits alleging four victims were photographed and filmed as they were being physically and emotionally abused by the two men.
“The defendants are charged with targeting the most vulnerable members of our community because of their disabilities,” said United States Attorney Chung.
“The defendants’ alleged hate crimes involved victims who were unable to defend themselves or report what happened to them. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will continue our work to ensure that these victims—and all victims of federal crime—have a voice and that those who would perpetrate violence against them are brought to justice.”
According to the release, both men were able to avoid detection by exploiting one-on-one access to residents of the facility and the fact the victims were non-verbal and could not report abuse.
There is no word on the next steps in this case.
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