Two USP Canaan Inmates Charged With Assault And Possession Of A Weapon

 SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Andrew Daniels, age 40, and Dontrace Blaine, age 34, inmates at United States Penitentiary Canaan, Waymart, Pennsylvania, were indicted on June 1, 2021, by a federal grand jury for assault and being in possession of a weapon in prison.

According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the indictment alleges that on November 8, 2020, Daniels and Blaine assaulted another individual with a sharp object and a combination lock wrapped in a bedsheet.

The matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant United States Attorney James Buchanan is prosecuting the case.

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 for these offenses is ten years imprisonment.    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 offenses; the history and characteristics of the defendants; and the need to punish the defendants, protect the public and provide for the defendants’ 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.