Inmates Caught with Homemade Shanks

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two inmates who possessed homemade weapons at the Federal Correctional Institution at McDowell have been sentenced to prison, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Antonio Freeman, 30, was sentenced to a year and a month in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of a weapon by an inmate. In a separate prosecution, Robert Aguon, 42, was also sentenced to a year and a month in federal prison after pleading guilty to the same crime.

The new sentences will be served consecutively to the sentences these inmates are currently serving. Freeman and Aguon will spend even more time behind bars for their crimes.

Freeman admitted to running away from staff members and throwing a homemade shank onto the roof of a building on August 25, 2016. The staff member retrieved the object and found it to be a sharpened piece of wood over five inches long, with tape and a cord attached as a handle and lanyard.

Aguon also pleaded guilty to possessing a homemade shank, which was discovered inside his pants during a search on February 24, 2017. The shank was made from a piece of metal, approximately six inches in length, sharpened to a point on one end with duct tape around the opposite end to form a handle.

These cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Assistant United States Attorney John File handled the prosecutions. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentences.

According to the authorities, homemade weapons pose a significant threat to the safety and security of correctional facilities. These sentences serve as a reminder that such behavior will not be tolerated.

The Grimy Times has learned that both inmates have been cooperative with authorities, and their cooperation has been taken into consideration during the sentencing process.