Joshua Starr Sentenced for Federal Weapon Possession, Berlin NH, 2023

Joshua Starr, 30, a former inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Berlin, New Hampshire, is back behind bars with an additional 18 months to serve after being convicted of federal weapon possession. The sentence, handed down in U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire, will run consecutive to Starr’s existing prison term, tightening the noose on a repeat offender who brought danger inside a federal facility.

The crime unfolded during a routine cell search in November 2015, when correctional officers discovered a six-inch plastic stabbing weapon hidden in Starr’s assigned bunk. The makeshift blade, crafted for violence, was concealed with intent—evidence of a calculated breach of prison security designed to harm, intimidate, or worse. Authorities moved swiftly, seizing the weapon and charging Starr under federal statutes governing contraband in penal institutions.

Starr isn’t new to this kind of charge. Records reveal he’d been previously prosecuted and convicted in federal court in New Hampshire for possessing a similar weapon while incarcerated at the same facility. His return to weapon possession underscores a disturbing pattern: a disregard for institutional rules, a threat to staff and inmates, and a blatant challenge to federal authority.

The investigation was led by FCI Berlin’s internal security team in coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Their joint effort dismantled Starr’s attempt to operate under the radar. Evidence was gathered, documented, and built into a case that left little room for dispute—Starr had the weapon, he hid it, and he had no legal right to possess it.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Abramson prosecuted the case, pushing for accountability in a system where contraband weapons can spark riots, injuries, and even deaths. U.S. Attorney Emily Gray Rice emphasized the seriousness of the offense: “Possessing a weapon in federal prison isn’t just a violation—it’s a direct threat to public safety and institutional integrity.”

Starr now faces a total of 18 months for the weapon charge alone, time that will stack onto his existing sentence. The outcome serves as a warning: even behind bars, federal law enforcement is watching, and second offenses come with steep consequences. For Starr, the price of defiance is more concrete, more bars, and more time.