Five Inmates at USP Lee Indicted for Conspiring to Kill Fellow Inmate

ABINGDON, Va.- A federal grand jury sitting in U.S. District Court in Abingdon, Virginia indicted five inmates incarcerated at United States Penitentiary- Lee County (USP Lee) for conspiring to murder a fellow inmate at the prison, Acting United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar announced today.

In a five-count indictment returned February 9, 2020, the grand jury charged Moris Flores, 32, Carlos Almonte, 30, Julie Chavez, 35, Angel Guevara, 39, and German Hernandez, 33, each with one count of conspiracy to commit the premeditated murder of victim “AZ” and one count of attempted murder.

In addition, the grand jury charged Flores, Guevara, and Almonte with one count each of assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of contraband inside a federal prison.

According to the indictment, on January 15, 2020, Flores and Guevara entered the cell occupied by victim “AZ” while Almonte, Chavez, and Hernandez surrounded the cell, preventing others from interfering and holding the door closed.

Inside the cell, the indictment alleges that Flores and Guevara beat the victim with metal shanks and closed fists. Victim “AZ” sustained multiple stab and puncture wounds.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons. Assistant United States Attorneys Lena Busscher and Danny Murphy are prosecuting the case for the United States.

An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.