Inmate At United States Penitentiary At Canaan Pleads Guilty To Assaulting Another Inmate With A Dangerous Weapon

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Michael Caraballo, age 37, formerly of Vermont, pleaded guilty on September 4, 2020, before U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of contraband in prison.   

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Caraballo, an inmate at USP Canaan, admitted to assaulting another inmate with a sharpened piece of metal commonly known as a “shank.”  Caraballo also admitted to possessing the metal “shank,” which is contraband in a federal prison.  The incident occurred in February 2017. 

Judge Mariani ordered a presentence report to be completed.  Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service.  Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.

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 is 10 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.

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