FRESNO, CA—A federal grand jury returned a single-count indictment against Curtis Dickson, 36, a federal inmate, charging him with assault on a federal employee, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

According to the indictment, which was brought on September 17, 2015, Dickson, while an inmate in the United States Penitentiary Atwater, assaulted and inflicted bodily injury on two correctional officers as they were engaged in the performance of their official duties. Both officers sustained fractures and other injuries requiring medical treatment. Dickson, of Washington DC, was serving a life sentence imposed as a result of a second degree murder conviction.

“Federal correctional officers put their lives and safety in jeopardy every day in the course of their duties,” said U.S. Attorney Wagner. “Inmates who engage in violent acts toward correctional officers will face prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.”

This case is the product of an investigation by USP Atwater and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Vincenza Rabenn is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Dickson faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.