Allenwood Inmate Indicted for Assault of Another Inmate

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a federal grand jury in Williamsport returned an indictment on September 11 charging an inmate at the United States Penitentiary at Allenwood, Pennsylvania.

According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, Christopher Charles, age 30, is charged with assaulting another inmate at the Allenwood Penitentiary on June 26, 2012, causing the victim to suffer serious bodily injury.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Simmers.

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 10 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.