Federal Inmate Charged with Attempted Murder at Canaan

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a criminal information has been filed in U.S. District Court in Scranton charging that an inmate at the United States Penitentiary at Canaan, Pennsylvania, with allegedly assaulting another inmate with a dangerous weapon with the intent to commit murder on November 7, 2013. Eddie Joe Sutton, age 59, formerly of Texas, was charged with the offense. According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, the alleged victim was another inmate who survived the attack but suffered stab wounds which required treatment at a local hospital.

The government also filed a plea agreement which is subject to approval by the court.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Special Investigation Section at USP-Canaan. Prosecution is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney John Gurganus.

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 guilty is imposed by the judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

In this particular case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute is 20 years’ 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.