Daryl Johnson, Assault on Corrections Officer, Pennsylvania 2023

Daryl Johnson, a 32-year-old federal inmate at United States Penitentiary Canaan, is facing federal charges after allegedly kicking a corrections officer in the face during a violent altercation inside the maximum-security prison in September.

The attack, which occurred amid rising tensions within the facility, left the officer with minor injuries but prompted an immediate lockdown and investigation by prison officials and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Johnson was not injured during the confrontation, according to sources familiar with the incident.

On December 6, 2016, a federal grand jury in the Middle District of Pennsylvania returned an indictment charging Johnson with assaulting a federal employee, a felony that carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine, and a term of supervised release upon any potential conviction.

United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler confirmed the indictment, stating that the evidence gathered from body-worn camera footage, witness statements, and medical reports supports the charge. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni, who called the assault ‘a direct attack on the integrity and safety of federal corrections operations.’

Johnson remains incarcerated at USP Canaan while awaiting further court proceedings. If convicted, the presiding judge will determine sentencing under federal guidelines, weighing the nature of the assault, Johnson’s criminal history, and the need for deterrence and public protection.

Indictments are presumed allegations under U.S. law. Daryl Johnson is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The case continues to unfold amid growing scrutiny over inmate conduct and staff safety in federal correctional institutions.

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