Officer Eric Williams
Eric Williams was born on August 24, 1978. He resided most of his life in Nanticoke, Pa, where he graduated from high school. Eric went on to attend Luzerne County Community College, and then graduated from King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. with a degree in Criminal Justice. He went on to graduate from Lackawanna College Police Academy in Scranton, Pa.
He worked in the field of law enforcement as a loss prevention specialist for Wegman’s, and later as a police officer for Jefferson Township, Pa. Eric accepted a job with the Federal Bureau of Prisons where he worked at USP Canaan, a high security penitentiary in Wayne County, Pa.
He served as a Corrections Officer when on the evening of February 25, 2013, Eric was brutally attacked and murdered by an inmate. Eric was 34 years old. He left a family of two parents, two brothers, and a sister behind.
Those who knew Eric remember him as an avid hunter and fisherman, an excellent soccer player, but most of all for his comedy. Eric’s sense of humor was well-known. He had a large circle of friends, had been in a committed relationship with his girlfriend, and was in the process of restoring a lake side cottage at Lily Lake, Pa. at the time of his death.
Many tears were shed over Eric’s death, but people still have a smile on their face when they talk about the great fun they had with him.
Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati
On Tuesday, February 26, 2013, after completing his shift at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, Supervisory Correctional Officer (Lieutenant) Osvaldo Albarati was shot and killed while he was driving home to his family. The shooting was a gang hit carried out with assistance from sources inside MDC Guaynabo. Authorities believe that Lieutenant Albarati’s murder was a direct result of his work at the prison, specifically his uncovering of the use of contraband cell phones which were being used for criminal enterprise. Lieutenant Albarati was 39 years old when he was killed.
Prior to becoming a Corrections Officer with the Federal Bureau of Prisons on March 10, 2002, Lieutenant Albarati was a Puerto Rico police officer. In 2011, while working for the Bureau of Prisons, Lieutenant Albarati earned MDC Guaynabo’s Correctional Officer of the Year award. In June 2012, he was promoted to Lieutenant. Lieutenant Albarati is survived by his wife, Helen, and two daughters, and a son.
Aside from his law enforcement career, Osvaldo had a passion for cars, particularly vintage cars which he had restored. He was also known for his love of playing basketball. However, his favorite pastime was to spend time with his family doing things together. His death was a severe blow to this family, leaving Helen to raise two younger girls by herself. Osvaldo Jr. moved to New England and married. He lives there and is pursuing his career.
On January 28, 2015, inmates Oscar “Cali” Martínez-Hernández, Ángel D. “Api” Ramos-Cruz, Miguel “Bolo” Díaz-Rivera, were indicted for soliciting another person(s) and financing the plan to murder Lieutenant Albarati. Juan “El Manco” Quiñones-Meléndez, Orlando “Yogui” Mojica-Rodríguez, Jayson “Gonzo” Rodríguez-González, Carlos “Cano” Rosado-Rosado, Alexander “Coquí” Rosario de León, and Jancarlos “Jan” Velázquez-Vázquez, were also indicted for their roles in the murder.
On October 8, 2019, Oscar Martínez-Hernández was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Lt. Albarati. The other eight individuals charged pleaded guilty and received lesser sentences.
officer Jose V. Rivera
Jose V. Rivera, a 22-year-old Correctional Officer, died at USP Atwater on June 20, 2008 after a ten-month tour of duty.
On Friday, June 20, 2008, Federal Correctional Officer Jose Rivera was brutally murdered by two inmates at USP Atwater in California. Officer Rivera was on the second tier of a housing unit attempting to place the two inmates – Joseph Cabrera Sablan and James Leon Guerrero – back into their cell. The inmates turned and began assaulting Officer Rivera, using a homemade knife.
Other prison staff came to the rescue, subdued the two attackers, and then began performing life-saving maneuvers on Jose. Officer Rivera was transferred to a hospital where he died shortly after arrival. Officer Rivera was 22 years old.
Jose Rivera was a four-year veteran of the Navy, and he served two tours of active military duty in Iraq. He began working with the Federal Bureau of Prisons as a Correctional Officer in August 2007, and was killed in the line of duty less than one year later. He is survived by his mother, Teri Rivera, and two sisters, and brother. Jose’s mother has taken an active role in lobbying for safety legislation in Washington, D.C. Jose was very close to his mother and siblings, and his death was a devastating blow to the entire family.
In March 2014, to avoid a possible death sentence, Guerrero pleaded guilty to murder in exchange for a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. In September 2015, Sablan was sentenced to prison for the rest of his life following a plea agreement that eliminated the possibility of his release.
Inmate Sablan died of natural causes on November 14, 2018 while still in custody.
Death leaves a heartache no one can heal; love leaves a memory no one can steal.
– Unknown