Inmate death at Hazelton prison not suspected to be COVID-19 related

BRUCETON MILLS, W.Va. (WCHS/WVAH) — An inmate who passed away on Monday at a federal prison in Preston County is not suspected to have had coronavirus, according to prison officials.

Around 5:00 p.m., USP Hazelton inmate Isaiah Jumar Bethea, 26, was found unresponsive at the facility and staff members immediately initiated life-saving measures, according to a news release from the prison. The release did not state what caused Bethea's death.

"Staff requested emergency medical services and life-saving efforts continued. The inmate was subsequently pronounced dead by EMS personnel. Currently, there are no indicators that his death is COVID-19 related," the release stated.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation was notified. No staff or other inmates were injured and at no time was the public in danger, prison officials said.

The release said Bethea was sentenced in the Middle District of North Carolina to a 60-months for racketeering, violence and interference with commerce by robbery. He had been in custody at USP Hazelton since December 11, 2019.

USP Hazelton is a high security facility that currently houses 1,264 male inmates.

According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website, the BOP has 143,616 federal inmates in BOP-managed institutions and 10,160 in community based facilities with approximately 36,000 staff.

As of Tuesday, there are 540 federal inmates and 323 BOP staff who have confirmed positive test results for COVID-19 nationwide. Currently, 220 inmates and 49 staff have recovered.

There have been 23 federal inmate deaths and 0 BOP staff member deaths attributed to COVID-19 disease.