Pennsylvania State Prison Inmate Charged with Obstruction of Justice

PITTSBURGH, PA – An inmate of SCI - Pine Grove, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of obstruction of justice, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.

The one-count Indictment named Dhaque Jones, 25, incarcerated in Indiana, PA, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment presented to the court, beginning on or about February 14, 2020 and continuing thereafter until on or about July 13, 2021, the defendant did obstruct justice during a federal civil case by submitting materially false documents submitted as exhibits to Jones’ habeas petition with the federal court.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of not more than 3 years. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin J. Risacher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.