Federal Inmate Charged with Possession of Handmade Weapon

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a federal grand jury in Scranton returned an indictment yesterday against Ronnie Perkins, age 23, an inmate incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institute at Schuylkill, yesterday.

According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, inmate Ronnie Perkins is charged with being in possession of a handmade stabbing weapon on prison grounds.

If convicted, Ronnie Perkins could be imprisoned for a total statutory maximum of up to five years’ imprisonment and could receive a fine of $250,000.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Bureau of Prisons and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Todd K. Hinkley for prosecution.

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 case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute is five 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.