By Renatta Signorini
Tribune-Review, Greensburg, Pa.
GREENSBURG, Pa. — A New Kensington man and a man acquitted of a shooting in Arnold face charges in what authorities say was a planned jailhouse assault.
A former guard at the Westmoreland County Prison was fired and also faces charges in the incident.
According to county detectives, the attack occurred last month after the guard unlocked a cell and allowed two inmates — Vincent T. Green, 30, of New Kensington and Nicholas Haynes, 26, of Mt. Pleasant — to enter the cell and assault the inmate in it.
Green, who was in the jail awaiting trial on drug charges filed by Arnold police, and Haynes, who was awaiting trial in connection with two cases, including a robbery and burglary in Greensburg, were to be arraigned on the new charges Friday.
Haynes is charged with conspiracy and aggravated assault. Green faces a single conspiracy count. Neither had an attorney listed in court documents.
Haynes, formerly of New Kensington, was found not guilty by a jury last year of shooting a man three times with a .22 caliber handgun near Kenneth Avenue in Arnold in 2018.
The guard, Brian J. Prinkey, 25, of Connellsville, was arrested Thursday, charged with conspiracy and official oppression. He denies the allegations, according to arrest papers.
Prinkey was terminated, according to warden Bryan Kline.
“We took swift action to do so,” he said.
Prinkey is free on $100,000 unsecured bond. He did not have an attorney listed in online court records and could not be reached. A preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 27. He was hired in March and made $43,763 annually, according to the county controllers office.
County detectives said Prinkey was seen on surveillance video walking away from a discussion with Green and Haynes then opening the cell door at the Hempfield facility from a control panel.
The victim was taken to a hospital for treatment. He told authorities that he lost consciousness for about 20 seconds and most of his injuries were to his torso.
Two confidential informants told detectives that Prinkey had a discussion with Haynes and Green at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 20 on C Unit. Police said surveillance video showed that Prinkey “has a smile on his face” while walking back to the guard station following the conversation.
About an hour later, Prinkey gives Haynes and Green a thumbs up signal and opened the door to a cell, where the victim was sleeping, according to court papers. Police said Haynes attacked the man while Green watched.
The confidential informants and victim told investigators that Prinkey continued his rounds on the unit while the man was assaulted, eventually coming to the cell and telling Haynes and Green to leave, according to court papers. The injured man was yelling for help during the attack, police said.
Surveillance video showed Prinkey visit a cell where Haynes and Green went afterwards.