Jail Boss Lied as Inmate Died — Now He's Doing 17 Years

In March 2022, Quantez Burks entered West Virginia's Southern Regional Jail.

He never walked out.

Within 24 hours of his arrival, Burks — a 37-year-old pretrial detainee — was dead. Nearly three years later, a federal judge sentenced former corrections lieutenant Chad Lester to more than 17 years in prison for orchestrating a coverup in the wake of that fatal assault.

A Fatal Encounter in an Interview Room

Burks had been booked on a wanton endangerment charge when, according to prosecutors, he tried to push past a guard. What followed was a sequence of events in an off-camera interview room where several officers, while Burks was restrained, used what prosecutors described as "unreasonable force," according to the Department of Justice.

He died hours later.

The state's initial autopsy listed natural causes as the primary factor in Burks' death. Unconvinced, his family pursued a second, private autopsy. That report found multiple areas of blunt force trauma — evidence they said aligned more with assault than illness, according to the Associated Press.

The Coverup and Conspiracy

At the center of the fallout was Chad Lester, then a lieutenant at the jail. Although Lester did not strike Burks himself, federal prosecutors charged that he helped conceal the truth. According to trial testimony and court documents, Lester pressured subordinates to falsify their reports, threatened them with retaliation, and gave misleading statements to internal and federal investigators, as reported by the Department of Justice.

The jury found him guilty in January 2025 of conspiracy to tamper with witnesses, witness tampering, and making false statements. Several former officers testified against him as part of plea agreements.

Sentencing and Reaction

At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Joseph Goodwin told Lester his actions reflected the broader toxic culture within the Southern Regional Jail. "It was happening under your leadership, and a long sentence is appropriate given the culture," Goodwin told Lester, according to WV MetroNews. "You condoned, obstructed and covered up."

Lester maintained his innocence, saying, "The truth has to come out. I guess I've taken pride in my innocence and that's why I wanted to fight it."

He added that the only thing he would change is that he would have "called in sick" the day Burks died.

The judge noted Lester showed no remorse for his role in the coverup.

Burks' mother, Kimberly, was present at the sentencing. She expressed a mixture of grief and cautious relief. While she would have preferred a longer sentence, according to WV MetroNews, she said the decision sends a message about accountability in the corrections system.

Broader Implications

The case has drawn national attention not just because of the brutality of the incident, but also due to its exposure of systemic issues within West Virginia's jail system. Over a dozen deaths were reported at Southern Regional in 2022 alone, according to the AP.

In 2023, the state settled a class-action lawsuit filed by inmates who described inhumane conditions, including a lack of water, food, and oversight during fights.

The scandal led to high-level firings, including the dismissal of the state's corrections chief and homeland security counsel, after a federal judge cited "intentional" destruction of records related to the class-action lawsuit, according to the AP.

What Happens Next?

Six additional former officers await sentencing later this year, each tied in some way to the fatal beating of Burks. Their pleas, all related to either the use of excessive force or failure to intervene, reflect a shared culpability across the ranks.

As more cases make their way through the courts, the Southern Regional Jail remains under scrutiny — a facility that, for now, stands as a symbol of justice mismanaged and hard lessons learned.

References: Former West Virginia jail supervisor sentenced in coverup of assault that led to inmate's death | Former West Virginia Supervisory Correctional Officer Sentenced to more than 17 Years in Prison on Conspiracy and Obstruction Charges | Former Southern Regional lieutenant sentenced to more than 17 years in prison for trying to cover up inmate's death