U.S. Department
of Justice
USP Lee Inmate Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Kill Fellow Inmate
ABINGDON, Va. – An inmate at United State Penitentiary- Lee County (USP Lee) pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring to kill a fellow inmate, attempting to commit murder, and being an inmate in possession of a prohibited object in relation to an assault that occurred in January 2020.
According to court documents, Moris Flores, 32, and four fellow inmates - Carlos Almonte, Julio Chavez, German Hernandez, and Angel Guevara - entered a cell occupied by victim “AZ” on January 15, 2020, with the intent to commit murder. Flores, a member of MS-13, admitted today that he and Guevara entered the prison cell to attack AZ, a member of the Mexican Mafia, while Almonte, Chavez, and Hernandez surrounded the cell and held the door closed, preventing others from interfering with the attack.
Today Flores admitted that inside the cell he and Guevara attacked victim “AZ” with metal shanks and closed fists. Victim “AZ” sustained multiple stab and puncture wounds. Flores faces up to life in prison on the conspiracy to commit murder charge.
“Violence within our federal prison system simply will not be tolerated and we will do all we can to continue to closely partner with the FBI and Bureau of Prisons to investigate and prosecute those who continue to break the law inside such facilities,” Acting U.S. Attorney Bubar said today. “I appreciate the hard work of the investigative team, which brought Flores to justice.”
“The FBI will aggressively investigate and work closely with the United States Attorney’s Office, Western District of Virginia, to prosecute violations of an individual’s civil rights and bring those responsible to justice,” Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division said today.
Almonte, Chavez, Hernandez, and Guevara have all been charged for their roles in the assault.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lena Busscher and Danny Murphy are prosecuting the case.