Federal Inmate Sentenced To 20 Additional Years For Assault On Prison Staff

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Four Others Appear for Pleas and Sentencing

CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA - United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II
announced that a federal prisoner will serve an additional 20 years of time as a result of his attack on officials at a prison in Preston County, West Virginia.

TARVIS LEVITICUS DUNHAM, age 42, a former inmate at the United States Penitentiary in Hazelton, West Virginia, was sentenced to 240 months imprisonment to run consecutive to the 300-month sentence he is currently serving. DUNHAM was convicted on January 29, 2013, after a six-day trial on one count of “Obstructing Justice by Retaliating Against a Witness,” and five counts of “Assaulting, Resisting and Impeding Certain Officers or Employees of the Bureau of Prisons.” Trial evidence indicated that in 2011 DUNHAM attempted to retaliate against a case manager for producing a record and document during disciplinary proceedings conducted by the Bureau of Prisons relating to an incident that occurred the year befere. DUNHAM forcibly assaulted the case manager and when other Correctional Officers attempted to restrain DUNHAM, he forcibly assaulted them by kicking and biting them. He also refused to comply with their orders before they were able to restrain and handcuff him. DUNHAM was transferred to another United States Penitentiary that same day. A week after the incident, the staff at USP Lee recorded a telephone call between DUNHAM and his mother where DUNHAM told his mother that he “about near killed that woman.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brandon S. Flower and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Special Investigative Services Unit at USP Hazelton.

GARY MOORE, age 37, an inmate at USP Hazelton, entered a plea of guilty to “Possession of a Prohibited Object” when staff at the satellite camp at USP Hazelton found a cell phone during a random search. MOORE was sentenced to 3 months imprisonment to run consecutive to his current 199-month sentence.

SEAN WILLIAMS, age 35, an inmate at USP Hazelton, entered a plea of guilty to “Indecent Exposure.” BATTLE was sentenced to 90 days imprisonment to run consecutive to the 188-month sentence that he is already serving.

ALBERT MEIER, age 24, an inmate at USP Hazelton, entered a plea of guilty to “Possession of a Prohibited Object” when staff at USP Hazelton observed MEIER talking on a cell phone. MEIER ignored commands from staff and attempted to run, with the staff eventually finding the cell phone in his pants. MEIER faces up to 1 additional year of imprisonment.

The MOORE, WILLIAMS and MEIER cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Flower and investigated by the Special Investigative Services Unit at USP Hazleton.

DAVID SOKOLOWSKI, age 42, of Point Marion, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to six days imprisonment for “Assault of a VA Police Officer” on February 15, 2012, at the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew R. Cogar and investigated by VA Police.