A former health care worker has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for conspiring to commit and carrying out hate crimes against severely disabled residents at a Pennsylvania facility.
United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan handed down the sentence to Tyler Smith, 34, of New Brighton, Pennsylvania, for his role in a conspiracy that targeted over a dozen victims at the facility, where he worked as a direct care staff member.
According to court documents, Smith and his co-defendant, Zachary Dinell, carried out a series of assaults against residents between June 2016 and September 2017, including punching, kicking, and rubbing hand sanitizer in their eyes. Several of the assaults were recorded on Dinell’s cell phone.
“Today’s sentencing holds Tyler Smith accountable for the abhorrent and degrading assaults he and Zachary Dinell carried out against more than a dozen victims—simply because they were disabled,” U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan said. “Hate crimes target and terrorize not just individuals but whole communities. Our hope is that today’s result brings some measure of closure to the victims’ families who have shouldered the crushing burden of Smith’s and Dinell’s conduct for so many years.”
Smith’s co-defendant, Zachary Dinell, previously pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment, followed by three years’ supervised release.
“I hope today’s decision brings some comfort to the families impacted by this egregious crime,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek. “Today’s sentencing shows there is no room for hatred, and crimes against our most vulnerable citizens will be met with the force of justice.”
Smith’s admissions during his plea hearing revealed that he and Dinell exploited their one-on-one access to residents and the fact that the victims were non-verbal and could not report the abuse. The residents also were not able to defend themselves against the assaults due to their physical disabilities.
United States Attorney Olshan emphasized the importance of holding perpetrators accountable for their crimes, particularly those that target vulnerable populations. “This office and our partners at the FBI will continue to work every day to give voice to the voiceless and protect the most vulnerable members of our communities.”
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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