BECKLEY, W.Va. — Two inmates at the Federal Correction Institution in Beckley pleaded guilty Thursday to weapons charges.
United States Attorney Mike Staurt’s office said Brandon Owens, 22, pleaded guilty to possession of a weapon by an inmate. In a separate case George Harper, 32, also pleaded guilty to the same charge Thursday.
Owens admitted that a prison staff member found an object in the waist of his pants on June 3, 2017. That object was determined to be a homemade “shank” roughly four inches long with a sharp, pointed end.
Harper admitted that on July 16, 2017, a prison staff member saw him put an object in a coffee cup. That object was also determined to be a homemade “shank”.
Owens and Harper each face five years in a federal prison. They are scheduled to be sentenced on April 19.
U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart commended the Federal Bureau of Prisons for their work investigating these cases.