Inmate Charged With Possession Of A Weapon

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Peter Mastin, age 26, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institute at Schuylkill, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for possession of a weapon.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that on June 24, 2018, Mastin possessed a seven-inch metal weapon sharpened to a point, commonly known as a “shank.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting the case.

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

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.

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 5 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

# # #