SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Willie James McNeal, 59, a prisoner at the Federal Correctional Institution located in Herlong, California, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

According to the indictment, McNeal assaulted another prisoner who suffered serious bodily injury as a result. 

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Prisons. Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Beck is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, McNeal faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to an additional 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.