Federal Inmate Pleads Guilty To Assaulting Another Inmate

MINNEAPOLIS—Earlier today in federal court, a 46-year-old woman pleaded guilty to assaulting another inmate at the Federal Correctional Institute in Waseca, Minnesota. Felecia Thomas pleaded guilty to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon. She did not enter into a plea agreement with the United States, but, rather, offered a “straight plea” to the single count in the indictment, which was filed on May 15, 2012.

The indictment alleges that on June 10, 2011, Thomas, who was then serving time at the correctional facility in Waseca following a 2004 conviction for arson and use of explosives in commission of a felony, assaulted an inmate with a rope. The rope allegedly had been removed from a laundry bag.

For her crime, Thomas faces a potential maximum penalty of ten years in prison. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Michael J. Davis will determine her sentence at a future hearing, yet to be scheduled. This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John E. Kokkinen and Lola Velazquez-Aguilu.