Inmate Indicted for Assault on Taft Federal Correctional Institution Officers
| U.S. Attorney’s Office August 02, 2012 |
FRESNO, CA—Ismael Olivera-Ruelas, 35, an inmate at Taft Correctional Institution, was charged today by a federal grand jury with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon.
According to the indictment, on July 9, 2012, Olivera-Ruelas cut two correctional officers with a razor blade. According to court records, Olivera-Ruelas is serving a federal sentence after being convicted in February 2011 of illegally returning to the United States after deportation.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Taft Correctional Institution staff. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Rooney is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Olivera-Ruelas faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison. The actual sentence, if convicted, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
The charges are only allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.