The first civilian contractor has been charged with crimes in federal court as a result of the death of a prisoner in Afghanistan.

A contractor working for the CIA was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury on charges stemming from the beating death of a prisoner in Afghanistan. The North Carolina man is the first civilian to face criminal charges related to the detainee abuse scandal. The four-count indictment was handed up in Raleigh, N.C., against David A. Passaro for the June 21, 2003, death of a prisoner in U.S. custody. Copies were distributed in Washington ahead of a planned news conference by Attorney General John Ashcroft.

The prisoner, identified as Abdul Wali, was being held at a U.S. detention facility in Asadabad, in the Kunar province of Afghanistan. Court documents say Wali had surrendered voluntarily and was being questioned by Passaro about frequent rocket attacks directed at the U.S. facility. Wali died after Passaro allegedly beat him "using his hands and feet, and a large flashlight" during two days of interrogations, the indictment said.

Passaro has been charged with two counts of assault and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon - a flashlight. He faces a total of up to 40 years in prison.