A former New Jersey prison guard has been sentenced to five years behind bars for assaulting an inmate in 2017, authorities announced Monday.

Cortlen Flax, a 37-year-old Woodbury resident, was convicted in July of attacking Julio Valdez in his cell at South Woods State Prison in Bridgeton.

Valdez, who was 61 at the time, suffered a ruptured left ear drum in the assault, authorities said. Flax is no longer employed as a state prison guard.

The incident began on Feb. 14, 2017, when Valdez was searching for a seat after picking up food, then encountered Flax, according to a civil lawsuit Valdez filed in 2019. Flax only spoke English, and Valdez only knew Spanish, which led to a confrontation and Valdez returning to his cell , the suit said.

Investigators said that Flax then follo

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