CLARKSBURG — Lance Kuretza, the Monongalia County Sheriff’s deputy who was arrested after being federally indicted last week, pleaded not guilty during an arraignment Thursday afternoon in the U.S. District Court in Clarksburg.
Kuretza, who has been released on bond, was in the courtroom Thursday with Federal defense attorneys Katy Cimino and Sean Shriver. U.S. Attorney Sarah Wagner is the prosecutor on the case with U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Aloi presiding.
Kuretza is accused of depriving an individual of his civil rights by using excessive force and then submitting a false report to cover it up in January 2018.
The indictment states Kuretza deprived the victim of their fourth amendment right to be free from unreasonable seizures and subjected the victim to excessive force by punching and elbowing them in the face. After the victim was handcuffed, the deputy allegedly sprayed them with pepper spray and kneed the victim while escorting them.
A second count on the indictment alleges Kuretza knowingly falsified his reports of the incident by stating the pepper spray was used before the victim was handcuffed and not submitting any documentation of excessive force after the victim was cuffed.
The Mon Sheriff’s Office placed Kuretza on paid administrative leave following last week’s indictment, but has not made additional comment on the case.
During Thursday’s arraignment, Judge Aloi laid out a schedule of disclosure, pre-trial and trial dates for Kuretza’s case, noting that Kuretza needs to appear at every scheduled matter, including motion hearing, pre-trial conference, trial and all other proceedings.
Jury selection and trial for the case are currently scheduled for Oct. 18
If convicted, Kuretza faces up to 10 years in prison for the civil rights violation and up to 20 years in prison for falsifying the report.
