WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that five federal inmates were indicted separately yesterday by a federal grand jury for possession of a weapon in prison.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Ernie Joseph Sandoval, age 31, an inmate at the United States Penitentiary, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania (USP Lewisburg), was indicted by a federal grand jury for possession of a weapon in prison. Sandoval was found in possession of a homemade sharpened piece of plastic, commonly referred to as a “shank," during a search conducted on Aug. 17, 2017.
Jose Capriata, age 25, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution Allenwood, White Deer, Pennsylvania (FCI Allenwood), was indicted by a federal grand jury for possession of a weapon and a controlled substance. On Sept. 17, 2017, Capriata was found in possession of a homemade sharpened piece of plastic and a synthetic cannabinoid, MAB-CHMINACA.
Lenelle Gray, age 37, an inmate at FCI Allenwood, was indicted by a federal grand jury for possession of a weapon in prison. Gray was in possession of a homemade sharpened piece of metal during a search conducted on Sept. 24, 2017.
Jorge Lopez-Cruz, age 47, an inmate at the United States Penitentiary, Allenwood, Pennsylvania (USP Allenwood), was indicted by a federal grand jury for possession of a weapon in prison. Lopez-Cruz was found in possession of a homemade sharpened piece of metal during a search conducted on Sept. 21, 2017.
Michael Moore, age 23, an inmate at USP Allenwood, was indicted by a federal grand jury for possession of a weapon in prison. Moore was found in possession of a homemade sharpened piece of plastic during a search conducted on September 9, 2017.
The charges stem from an investigation by officers at the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Alisan VanFleet is prosecuting the cases.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The defendants are facing a maximum of five years of incarceration and a $250,000 fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
