The US Department of Justice says it has charged a prisoner who allegedly subjected another inmate to prolonged waterboarding and forced him to kneel on concrete.
The government filed the charges Tuesday against David Lee Boyd, a former military intelligence agent who is serving time in a federal prison in Colorado.
He was arrested in November after his wife and son died in a helicopter crash while in custody in Texas.
He is charged with three counts of torture.
Boyd’s lawyer, Charles Johnson, told the Associated Press the charges could result in a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.
He said the charges are not a first time in US history for Boyd.
“This is not the first time that an individual has been charged with torture and I am confident that this is the first in the United States for this person,” Johnson said.
He did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CBC News.CBC News was unable to reach Boyd’s attorney for comment.