LCSO announces two Lee County correction officers arrested; accused of scalding inmates

Two correction officers with the Lee County Sheriff's Office were fired and arrested after an investigation found they threw hot water from a dispenser onto two inmates, officials said.

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said Casey Howell, 32, and Enzo Finamore, 24, were terminated and handcuffed Tuesday after they injured at least two prisoners.

"This area is used for inmates who are violent and a danger to themselves or others," Marceno said at a Wednesday news conference. "The injuries appeared to be burns."

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A deputy doing checks "immediately" notified his supervisor. They determined the injuries were first- and second-degree burns caused by the deputies.

"Professionalism and compassion are two things I demand from my family members all of the time," Marceno said.

Corrections personnel contacted the Major Crimes Unit, Marceno said.

The investigation found that Howell and Finamore threw scalding hot water from a water dispenser onto the inmates to gain compliance, Marceno said.

They located two additional victims with similar injuries and statements. None of the victims said anything, Marceno added.

"We are acting on their behalf, and we'll right as wrong as much as we can," Marceno said.

Corrections officers are responsible for the welfare of inmates.

"My Corrections Bureau was responsible for their safety and security," Marceno said. "This never allows a person to mistreat or brutalize another human being, especially when they are in a position of power and over the care of another person."

Howell faces charges of official misconduct; felony battery; and misdemeanor battery. Finamore is charged with official misconduct and misdemeanor battery.

Finamore's employment with the Sheriff's Office began in December 2021, while Howell started in 2022, Marceno said.

Howell faces a $16,500 bond for all counts while Finamore's was $6,500.

"I am sharing this ugly and horrible investigation because it's the right thing to do," Marceno said.

Marceno said investigators conducted "dozens of interviews." He added he's confident there were no other victims.

He added that the victims had redness on their chests and arms. Authorities treated the victims on-site.

How did the investigation begin?

Another deputy heard rumors of someone throwing scalding hot water on an inmate. That deputy came forward because he felt something was not right, Marceno said.

"This is the first time something of this caliber came forward," Marceno said.

They arrested the deputies when they developed probable cause, he said.

"This is a very large agency. We're 1,700-plus," Marceno said. "If we have bad apples, we don't wait one second. I don't want them as part of my family. They now disgrace the rest of my family. People will paint with a wide brush, unfortunately."

During the investigation, Marceno said they found Howell had three use-of-force instances while Finamore had one. He added they found all those within the guidelines.

Changes in policy, procedure

As a result, Marceno said they've removed the hot water dispensers from the officers in the wing. It's one of several wings that didn't yet have security cameras.

They've also added a supervisor to observe the unit directly.

"We're taking a hard look at our training and our policies to make sure that we do everything that we can to prevent this from ever happening again," Marceno said.

Marceno said they've now added cameras at the incident location and are looking at between $10 million and $12 million in costs.

"Cameras are great, but doing what's right is most important," Marceno said.

Marceno also called for self-accountability.

"You can't control every one every single day," Marceno said. "But what we can control is how we train ... How we perform."

Marceno said their internal investigation is complete, but the incident remains an open investigation.

Jail records weren't available for Howell and Finamore on Wednesday afternoon.

Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Twitter @TomasFRoBeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida corrections officers accused of throwing hot water on inmates