New Brighton pleads guilty to hate crime charges, abusing residents at healthcare facility

BEAVER COUNTY, Pa. — A former employee of a healthcare facility in Beaver County pleaded guilty to federal hate crime charges related to assaults against residents with disabilities.

Tyler Smith, 32, of New Brighton, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, a news release said.

Admissions made during Smith’s plea hearing revealed he and co-defendant Zachary Dinell were responsible for caring for residents with a range of severe disabilities every day.

Smith admitted he and Dinell engaged in a conspiracy to commit hate crimes against the residents because of their disabilities.

>>> Employee at home for people with disabilities charged with assault

The assaults occurred between June 2016 and September 2017.

Smith and Dinell punched and kicked residents and put liquid irritants in their eyes and mouths. Several of the assaults were recorded on Dinell’s cell phone.

In one instance, Smith admitted he jumped on top of a 13-year-old minor who was lying in bed.

>>> Grand jury indicts 2 former Beaver County care facility employees on hate crime charges

Smith admitted he and Dinell texted about the residents and also shared photos and videos of them while describing their assaults. The pair encouraged each other’s continued abuse of the residents.

Smith admitted they got away with it because the residents were non-verbal and could not report the abuse.

Smith faces a minimum of 60 months and a maximum of 120 months in prison.

Dinell pleaded guilty and was sentenced in January to 17 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

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