Federal Inmate Charged With Possessing A Weapon

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tommy Clark, age 22, a federal inmate at the Federal Correction Institution Schuylkill (FCI Schuylkill), in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, was charged on March 4, 2025, by a federal grand jury with possessing contraband in prison.

According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on or about October 16, 2024, while an inmate at FCI Schuylkill, Clark possessed an inmate manufactured weapon, specifically a six-and-one-half inch piece of metal sharpened to a point with a lanyard, commonly referred to as a “shank.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. Wilson is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. 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.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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