SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Carlos Rodriguez-Cruz, age 32, formerly of Puerto Rico, and an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill, in Minersville, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday for assaulting a federal corrections officer and for possession of contraband in prison.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Rodriguez-Cruz with assaulting a corrections officer and possessing contraband on October 6, 2023. The charges stem from an incident in which Rodriguez-Cruz engaged in a physical confrontation with a corrections officer. After the confrontation, staff at FCI Schuylkill searched Rodriguez-Cruz and found him in possession of a dangerous 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.
In this case, the maximum penalty under federal law is up to 13 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. 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.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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