Jan 18, 2018 3 min read

A correctional officer at SCI-Greene who was acquitted last year on charges he provided contraband to inmates at the state prison in Franklin Township filed a federal lawsuit against the state investigator who accused him and two other guards of illegally trading goods for confidential information.

The lawsuit filed Monday in federal court in Pittsburgh by Andrew J. Schneider claims he had the authority on the prison’s security search team to trade confiscated goods, including televisions, as rewards to inmates in exchange for information to keep the facility safe.

The lawsuit against Daniel Meinert, a special investigator for the state Department of Corrections, also claims Schneider worked closely with Meinert in 2014 as he investigated another correctional officer on accusations the other guard was smuggling drugs into the prison.

But the investigation soon turned on Schneider, the lawsuit alleges, and Meinert accused him and two other members on his team of various ethical and procedural violations in February 2015. Schneider was suspended from his job without pay later that year, but returned to the job six months later.

The three correctional officers were later criminally charged by Meinert in February 2016 and accused of running a “rent-a-center” at the prison, giving inmates electronics that including confiscated televisions and cable cords. All three guards were immediately suspended, although Schneider’s suspension was reduced to one day and he received back pay for the prior suspension.

Schneider, 36, of Grindstone, was acquitted last January of criminal solicitation, criminal conspiracy to commit obstruction, unlawful use of a computer, records tampering and conspiracy to commit criminal mischief. One of his co-defendants, John Smith Jr., 47, of Caldwell, Ohio, also was acquitted on all charges.

The other defendant in the case. Michael S. Berry Jr., 37, of Clarksville, was convicted of two counts of unlawful use of a computer and one charge of reckless endangerment, while being found not guilty of criminal conspiracy and records tampering. Greene County Judge Lou Dayich sentenced Berry to 30 days to a year in the county jail on work release. He’s currently appealing his conviction in state Superior Court.

Schneider claims in his lawsuit Meinert was aware prison supervisors “encouraged” the trading of contraband and even “authorized” one such transaction.

“Defendant Meinert charged (Schneider) with these serious crimes, which included felony counts, despite his knowledge of SCI-Greene’s common practice…” the lawsuit alleges.

Schneider, a correctional officer for 13 years, returned to his position last February following his acquittal.

The civil lawsuit claims Schneider’s first, fourth and 14th amendment rights were violated. It alleges Meinert “intentionally charged (Schneider) with serious crimes without probable cause” and “should have known through the exercise of reasonable caution” there was no basis to file the charges. It also accuses Meinert of acting “under the color of the law” and claims that his actions were an “unconscionable abuse of government authority.”

Schneider’s Pittsburgh-based attorney, Joel Sansone, could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday. Meinert also could not be reached for comment about the charges, and it was unclear whether he hired a lawyer.

The lawsuit requests a jury trial and unspecified compensation for his temporary loss of employment and medical expenses, along with punitive damages.