Convicted Murderer Found Guilty Of Assaulting Federal Correctional Officers And Possessing A Shank

Ocala, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury today found Lester Lee Nash (47) guilty of two counts of forcibly assaulting a federal officer causing bodily injury, and one count of possessing a prohibited object (shank) while incarcerated in a federal prison. Nash faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 17, 2023. Nash was indicted on August 31, 2021.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Nash was incarcerated at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County, serving a life sentence for murder. On June 11, 2021, Nash attacked one of the correctional officers in his cell block, striking him from behind and causing severe injuries. He then charged another nearby correctional officer and struck him repeatedly. After Nash was subdued and searched, prison staff found a shank made from a sharpened toothbrush handle hidden in his underwear.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys William S. Hamilton and Sarah J. Swartzberg.