SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that an inmate at the United States Penitentiary, Canaan, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Scranton for assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of contraband in prison.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Isiah Robinson, age 36, with assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm and possessing contraband in prison. The charges stem from an incident in October 2020 in which Robinson stabbed another inmate with a prison made weapon commonly known as a “shank.”
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for each charge is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
# # #