Press Release
Federal Inmate Pleads Guilty to Possessing Weapon
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of West Virginia
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Rondale Faulkner, a federal inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) at McDowell, pleaded guilty today to possessing a handcrafted weapon, commonly known as a “shank.”
According to court documents, FCI McDowell staff members found Faulkner in possession of a shank on September 26, 2020. The shank was a piece of metal approximately six inches long that was sharpened to a point on one end and had thread tied around clothe on the other end to form a handle. As part of his plea, Faulkner admitted that the shank was designed and intended to be used as a weapon.
Faulkner faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced on November 29, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is handling the prosecution.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:21-cr-00110.
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Updated August 23, 2021
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