Inmates convicted for roles in July 2015 rioting at northwest Arizona prison

More than a dozen inmates have been convicted for their involvement in July 2015 rioting that caused more than $2 million in damage at the privately operated state prison in northwest Arizona.

The first trial concluded Tuesday.

Mohave County Superior Court Judge Steve Conn acquitted Michael Anderson of participating in a riot but convicted him of aggravated assault upon corrections officer Brandon Puebla. Prosecutor Rod Albright said witnesses said the 33-year-old Anderson and four other inmates punched and kicked the officer, who wasn’t seriously injured.

Anderson had completed his four-year sentence for nine felony convictions but faces up to 2½ more years in prison when sentenced for the assault next month.

Albright said 13 other inmates entered plea agreements for their roles in the rioting. He said their punishments ranged from 10 months to three years more in prison.

After the rioting and previous incidents at the prison, which included the death of an inmate in an assault, and a high-profile escape that evolved into an out-of-state double homicide, Arizona terminated its contract with Centerville, Utah-based MTC, which had operated the prison.

Boca Raton, Florida-based GEO Group in December received a new contract to operate the 3,500-inmate prison in Golden Valley. The deal runs through 2023.

Cases against four other inmates charged in the rioting are pending.