Inmate Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Weapon at FCI McDowell

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Savion Garcia, 24, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) McDowell, was sentenced today to one year in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a weapon by an inmate at a federal prison.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 19, 2023,  an FCI McDowell staff member conducted a random search of Garcia’s prison cell. During the search, the staff member found two handcrafted weapons commonly known as “shanks” on Garcia’s person. One was a six-inch-long flat metal bar with a cloth wrapped around one end as a handle. The other shank was a piece of metal approximately six and three-fourth inches long, with one end sharpened to a point and a cloth wrapped around the other end as a handle. Garcia admitted to possessing the shanks, and further admitted that they were designed and intended to be used as weapons.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Today’s prison sentence will follow Garcia’s current term of incarceration, with the term of supervised release to commence upon Garcia’s release from prison. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess prosecuted the case.

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. 1:24-cr-91.

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