August 14, 2014

USP-Canaan Inmate Sentenced to 37 Months of Imprisonment for Assaulting Two Correctional Officers

The United States Attorney=s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that yesterday in Scranton United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion sentenced Tarmaine Colbert, age 36, formerly of Phoenix, Arizona, to 37 months’ imprisonment for assaulting two correctional officers. On May 29, 2014, Colbert pleaded guilty to the assault which occurred on January 12, 2014, at the U.S. prison facility in Canaan.

According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Colbert assaulted the officers when they attempted to do a pat down search of him for weapons. Colbert punched the two officers in the face resulting in minor injuries to the officers. Colbert was found to be in possession of a sharpened weapon commonly referred to as a shank.

The case was investigated by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons. Assistant United States Attorney John Gurganus prosecuted the case.