A jury in Oneida County, New York, convicted former Mid-State Correctional Facility correction officer Jonah Levi on April 1, 2026, of manslaughter and four related charges stemming from the in-custody death of an incarcerated person [1]. The jury simultaneously acquitted Levi on the top count of murder [1]. The case proceeded to trial on charges that included gang assault and related counts in addition to the homicide allegations [1].
Testimony and evidence at trial focused on events at Mid-State Correctional Facility, a state prison in Oneida County [1]. The murder acquittal on the most serious count, paired with convictions on manslaughter and four additional charges, produced a split verdict that reflects the jury's distinctions among the degrees of culpability alleged by prosecutors [1]. The case drew sustained attention from corrections oversight advocates in New York, who monitored the proceedings as a test of accountability for conduct inside state facilities [1].
Sentencing has not yet been scheduled [1]. Manslaughter in New York carries potential incarceration, and the four additional counts will be resolved at a sentencing proceeding before the Oneida County Court [1]. No defense or prosecution counsel were identified in available reporting.
The verdict is expected to prompt continued scrutiny of oversight mechanisms within the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision [1]. Prison reform advocates called the conviction a marker in a broader accountability debate, while the acquittal on murder will likely frame any post-trial motions or appeal arguments regarding the sufficiency of evidence on the higher charge [1].