State Inmate Charged With Mailing Threatening Letters

WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that a grand jury in Williamsport returned an indictment against an inmate serving a sentence at the State Correctional Institution, Smithfield, Huntingdon County, PA.

According to the United States Attorney Peter Smith, Gerald Mack, age 50, of Carlisle, Pennsylvania is charged with making repeated threats to injure a state correctional employee, and another woman during 2014. 

The federal investigation was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service and Geoffrey MacArthur has been assigned to the prosecution of this matter.

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 is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine of $250,000. 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.

# # #