Bureau of Prisons Employees Indicted by Federal Grand Jury

Abingdon, VIRGINIA – A federal grand jury in Abingdon returned two indictments yesterday against four United States Bureau of Prisons correctional officers who were employed at United States Penitentiary at Lee County (“USP-Lee”), Acting United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced.

The indictments returned against Charles Carter, 47, of Wise, Va., Ryan Sluss, 27, of Coeburn, Va., and William Marshal, 49, of Jonesville, Va., charge them each with one count of making a false statement and using a false writing in a matter within the executive branch of the United States government. The indictment returned against Jerry Shuler, 38, of Big Stone Gap, Va., charges him with ten counts of making a false statement and using a false writing in a matter within the executive branch of the United States government.

The indictment alleges that Sluss, Marshall, Carter, and Shuler, while employed at USP-Lee, falsified forms in the Special Housing Unit stating they, or other officers, had done required checks on inmates when the checks were in fact not conducted.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General and the United States Bureau of Prisons. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee will prosecute the case for the United States.

A Grand Jury Indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendants are entitled to a fair trial with the burden on the government to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.