TUCSON, Ariz. -- Just before jury selection was set to begin in the case against a Border Patrol agent, a plea deal was struck, court records show.
Matthew Bowen is accused of falsifying records after hitting a migrant with his patrol car in December 2017. In a plea agreement filed in federal court Thursday, Bowen admits he "intentionally struck [the migrant] with an unreasonable amount of force."
The signed statement continues, "My actions when I struck [the migrant] were not justified and violated his rights protected by the Constitution of the United States."
In exchange for pleading guilty to a misdemeanor, Bowen's sentence won't exceed one year in prison, five years probation and a $100,000 fine, the plea agreement says.
Weeks before the incident, federal court records shows Bowen sent texts calling migrants "savages" and "subhuman" who were "unworthy of being kindling for a fire."
In one exchange, Bowen jokingly referred to using a Tazer on migrants.
"Did you gas hiscorpse [sic] or just use regular peanut oil while tazing??" another Border Patrol agent texted Bowen.
"Guats are best made crispy with an olive oil from their native pais," Bowen replied.
"PLEASE let us take the gloves off trump! [sic]" Bowen said in another text in reference to his work with the Border Patrol.
Bowen is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 15.
