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North Carolina federal prison supervisor convicted after instructing physical punishment

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North Carolina federal prison supervisor convicted after instructing physical punishment


BUTNER, N.C. — A North Carolina federal prison supervisor has been convicted after investigators say he instructed a correctional officer to physically punish a man incarcerated at the institution by beating him.

North Carolina federal prison supervisor convicted after instructing physical punishment

Daniel Mitchell, a former Federal Bureau of Prisons lieutenant, pleaded guilty earlier this week to a felony charge of conspiring to violate civil rights, according to a U.S. Department of Justice statement.

“Corrections officers work in dangerous environments with limited resources and deserve our respect and gratitude,” U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley Jr. said in a statement. “But officers acting outside the law to injure an inmate erodes the rule of law, violates civil rights and puts other officers’ lives in jeopardy.”

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An attorney who represented Mitchell declined to comment Saturday.

The beating happened at the Federal Correctional Institute Butner Medium II in the special housing unit in Granville County, which Mitchell supervised, authorities said. The prison houses more than 1,600 people, according to its website.

A correctional officer reported to Mitchell on Dec. 8, 2021, that the incarcerated man had exposed himself and “engaged in a sexual act” in front of her while she was doing rounds in the unit, investigators said. Mitchell then began discussing with another correctional officer about how to punish the man.

Neither the man nor the two correctional officers were named by the U.S. Department of Justice or court documents from the case. The department did not indicate whether the conspiring officer also faced charges.

Normally, the prison’s misconduct discipline process involves a writeup for violations. The writeup is then delivered to the person, which is referred to as “counseling,” according to court records.

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Mitchell and the conspiring officer agreed traditional punishment methods wouldn’t work for the man, investigators said. While giving instructions, Mitchell allegedly told the officer to “teach a lesson” and “tune” him up — phrasing they both understood as physical punishment, according to court documents. He also ordered the officer to “stay away from face” while punishing him, authorities said.

The man was taken to another cell where the officer hit and kicked him until other correctional officers intervened, the department said. The man later had a medical emergency involving spasms after the beating aggravated his preexisting back condition, investigators said.

An eyewitness officer reported the beating, which prompted an investigation from the U.S. Justice Department’s Officer of Inspector General. Mitchell and the conspiring officer both admitted to investigators that they planned to physically punish the inmate as disciplinary action, authorities said.

Mitchell’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for late March, where he faces up to 10 years in prison.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

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Viewer photos from Monday’s snowfall

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Viewer photos from Monday’s snowfall


Tuesday, December 9, 2025 3:15AM

Some big flakes made for a nice wintry scene in Wake Forest.

Courtesy of Cathy Nestor

Snow and wintry weather fell across Central North Carolina on Monday. Check out some of the images submitted by viewers.

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New winter storm stretching as far south as North Carolina, Virginia in latest hit to travel plans

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New winter storm stretching as far south as North Carolina, Virginia in latest hit to travel plans


Another quick-hitting winter storm is brewing over the mid-Atlantic, just a few days after places in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia saw their first snow of the season, in what has been an active start to meteorological winter across the country.

Snow and sleet are ongoing across southern Virginia and West Virginia and will spread over northern North Carolina through Monday, as a fast-moving storm system slides off the East Coast, taking advantage of arctic air in the region.

In addition, sleet along the rain-snow line made for a slick Monday morning commute, particularly for drivers traveling on Interstates 26, 65, 77 and 81. 

Some places, particularly in the western North Carolina mountains, were not cold enough for snow Monday morning, leading to cold rain and sleet, which can be more hazardous than snow for drivers.

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Meanwhile, snow will replace rain by midday across southern Virginia and northern North Carolina.

People in Raleigh should expect at least a coating to an inch of snow, and those in Asheville will likely see some snow accumulation, with more snow farther north into the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Commuters are seen through the window of a bus at the King Street Metro station as snow falls on Friday, December 5, 2025, in Alexandria, Va. The Washington Post via Getty Images

Places closer to Washington, DC, may see only a few flakes with little to no accumulation. 

Those driving along the Interstate 95 corridor in eastern Virginia will likely see around 1 to 2 inches of snow through Monday evening.

Most of Virginia and northern North Carolina are under Winter Weather Advisories, with 1 to 3 inches of snow expected.

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Another quick-hitting winter storm is brewing over the mid-Atlantic, just a few days after places in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia saw their first snow of the season. FOX Weather
Families sled down a hill and play in the snow at Washington Park in Charlottesville, Va., after a winter storm dropped 3 inches of snow on Dec. 5, 2025. AP

Winter Storm Warnings were also issued for central and southern Virginia, where higher snow totals of 3 to 5 inches are expected through Monday.

This latest storm bears out the long-range outlook from NOAA last month that forecast an active start to meteorological winter, due in part to the La Niña climate pattern.

According to the FOX Forecast Center, cold air will remain in place Monday night and early Tuesday as the storm system pulls away from the coast. Overnight low temperatures in Washington, DC, will fall into the teens.



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Wilson, Veesaar power UNC past Georgetown 81-61

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Wilson, Veesaar power UNC past Georgetown 81-61


CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) — Caleb Wilson and Henry Veesaar both collected double-doubles as No. 16 North Carolina pulled away from visiting Georgetown in the second half to win 81-61.

Wilson tallied 20 points and 14 rebounds, while Veesaar totaled 18 points and 15 boards for the Tar Heels (8-1). Derek Dixon and Luka Bogavac each added 14 points apiece for UNC.

KJ Lewis paced the Hoyas (6-3) with 17 points, and Julius Halaifonua scored 14.

Sparked by a 3-pointer from Malik Mack, the Hoyas went on a 10-2 run in the game’s opening five minutes to grab an early five-point lead. The Tar Heels charged back, though, and led by seven points on a 3-pointer from Dixon just before intermission.

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North Carolina’s Henri Veesaar dunks against Georgetown on Sunday in Chapel Hill.

Ben McKeown

Georgetown trimmed its deficit to three on two occasions early in the second half, but the Tar Heels used a 12-2 run midway through the second half to open a 15-point lead. That scoring surge was capped off by Dixon, Veesaar, and Jarin Stevenson swishing 3-pointers in the span of less than 90 seconds.

UNC has been led this season by the frontcourt duo of Veesaar and Wilson, who entered the game averaging a combined 35.3 points and 18.6 rebounds per game. They’re the first pair of Tar Heels to average at least 16 points and eight rebounds per game since Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace did in the 1994-95 season. In eight of UNC’s nine games, either Veesaar or Wilson has led North Carolina in scoring.

USC Upstate visits Chapel Hill on Saturday.

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The Associated Press contributed.

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