Prison guard sentenced for sex assault
Richard Spisak, a former guard at the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia, was sentenced last week to 32 months in prison for sexually assaulting an inmate at the facility two years ago.
On Jan. 5, 2010, Spisak forced an inmate to perform oral sex on him under threat that Spisak would falsely accuse the inmate of attacking him if he didn’t acquiesce, according to court records.
The victim was identified as J.W. in court records.
DNA from the victim’s shirt linked Spisak to the assault, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Rotella.
“Spisak ejaculated in the inmate’s mouth,” Rotella told PGN. “The inmate spit into his hand and wiped the ejaculate on his T-shirt. So there was DNA evidence linking Spisak to the crime.”
Spisak, 33, of Warrington, worked at the detention center for nine years. His job title was senior officer specialist.
On March 19, 2012, Spisak pleaded guilty to the single-count indictment of “engaging in a sexual act with a ward,” Rotella said.
“Spisak told the inmate, ‘I’m going to tell everybody you attacked me unless you do what I tell you to do,’ which was perform oral sex on him,” Rotella said.
Spisak also allegedly sexually assaulted two other male inmates at the detention center, but he wasn’t charged with those alleged assaults, Rotella said.
Those alleged victims were identified as M.C.G. and J.M. in court records.
U.S. District Judge Paul S. Diamond also ordered Spisak to serve three years of supervised release, and to pay a $5,000 fine, Rotella said.
Prior to his June 28 sentencing, Spisak had been on house arrest with electronic monitoring.
“Immediately after sentencing, he was remanded into the custody of federal marshals,” Rotella said. “I asked that Spisak be taken into custody immediately, and the judge did [grant the request].”
Rotella was pleased with the sentence.
“I think it’s a tremendous outcome,” she said. “The sentencing guidelines call for 10-16 months. The judge gave him 32 months. That’s twice the top of the sentencing guidelines. Spisak abused his position of trust. He dishonored his prison uniform. So he earned himself a lengthy prison sentence.”
Spisak’s attorney, Daniel J. Delaney, couldn’t be reached for comment.
— Tim Cwiek
AIDS group offers voting guide
With the implementation of the state’s new Voter ID bill this November, AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania is offering a series of free workshops to make sure community members are prepared to head to the polls.
The first training session will be held from noon-2 p.m. Aug. 7 at William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St.
ALP executive director Ronda Goldfein said her agency opposes the law — which requires voters to present government-issued identification to vote — as it could discriminate against already-marginalized communities.
“If you’re otherwise eligible to vote and want to vote, your vote should count,” Goldfein said. “A lack of an identification card shouldn’t be a reason to strip someone of such an essential civil right. Our clients deal with enough discrimination as it is. Being discriminated against in voting because one’s ‘papers are not in order’ should outrage anyone interested in freedom and liberty.”
However, voters need to understand their rights in light of the new law, Goldfein said. The trainings will address the requirements of the legislation and ways to obtain valid ID.
Sessions will be offered in Spanish on an as-needed basis.
For more information, visit www.aids-lawpa.org.
Trial in antigay attack next month
A judge last week approved the continuance of a trial for a man accused of attacking his neighbor in an incident the victim says was motivated by antigay bias.
Municipal Court Judge Craig Washington scheduled the trial for Michael Marko to begin Aug. 20. The trial had been set to start June 29 but defense attorneys asked that it be preempted so they had more time to subpoena witnesses.
Marko is charged with possession of an instrument of crime, terroristic threats, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person in connection with an alleged attack on Ed Unay, an openly gay neighbor of Marko in Fishtown.
Unay said that while he was outside his Fishtown house talking to a neighbor in April, Marko, with whom he had confrontations in the past, pushed him and attempted to strike him in the head with a griddle pan, repeatedly using antigay slurs.
The use of the antigay language is referenced in the police report for the incident. As Pennsylvania does not have an LGBT-inclusive hate-crimes law, Marko does not face such a charge.
— Jen Colletta