Federal Inmate Charged With Possessing Weapon In Prison
ERIE, Pa. - Acting United States Attorney Robert S. Cessar announced today, March 9, 2010, that Reginald Carter, an inmate at the McKean Federal Correctional Institution in Bradford, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on a charge of possession of contraband in prison.
The one-count indictment named Carter, age 37, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment presented to the court, on January 11, 2010, Carter was in possession of a weapon, described as an eight-inch piece of wood sharpened to a point.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian A. Trabold, who presented the case to the grand jury, indicated that the law provides for a maximum total sentence of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. The sentence Mr. Carter receives must be consecutive to that which he is presently serving.
Officers of the McKean Federal Correctional Institution conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
