Four inmates charged in Valley federal prisons

Francis Scarcella, The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.
·1 min read

Jun. 10—LEWISBURG — The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced four federal inmates housed at Lewisburg and Allenwood have been charged in separate incidents involving the possession of a cellphone, possessing a weapon and contraband.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Christopher Edwards, 51, an inmate at the United States Penitentiary, Lewisburg, possessed an iPhone on Oct. 22, 2021, and Angel Anchondo, 20, an inmate at the Low-Security Correctional Institution, in Allenwood, possessed an LG cellphone on Dec. 15, 2021.

Federal law prohibits inmates from possessing cellphones to ensure institutional security.

The charges stem from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Special Assistant United States Attorney Drew O. Inman and Assistant United States Attorney George J. Rocktashel are prosecuting the cases.

If convicted, Edwards and Anchondo face a maximum of one year of incarceration and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The office also announced separate indictments against Jeffery Wood, 26, an inmate in Allenwood, for possession of a sharpened plastic shank on April 19, 2020, and Jeffrey Lamarche, 43, for possession of a sharpened metal shank, and several strips of paper soaked in a Schedule I synthetic cannabinoid on May 18, 2020.

The charges stem from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to U.S. Attorney's Office.