Federal Inmates At USP Canaan Charged With Assaulting Fellow Inmate

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Jesus Chavez, age 27 and Rudy Mendoza age 33, both federal inmates at the United States Penitentiary Canaan (“USP Canaan”), located in Waymart, Pennsylvania, were indicted on April 10, 2018, by a federal grand jury with assaulting another inmate with a dangerous weapon.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that Chavez and Mendoza assaulted a fellow inmate at USP Canaan on June 17, 2017.  Both inmates were also charged with possessing a homemade weapon fashioned from a sharpened piece of metal, commonly known as a “shank.”

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and officers from USP Canaan.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Evan Gotlob.

Indictments 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 is 15 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.