CITIZEN STAFF REPORT

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. — A federal prisoner in Welch, W.Va., pleaded guilty Monday to possession of a weapon.

Alex Barrera, 26, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution McDowell, is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 5 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

According to court documents, an FCI McDowell staff member conducting a random pat-down search found a handcrafted weapon commonly known as a “shank” in the waistband of Barrera’s pants April 5. The object was a piece of metal about 6-1/2 inches long, with one end sharpened to a point and the other end wrapped in cloth and a shoelace as a grip. Barrera admitted to possessing the object and that it was designed and intended to be used as a weapon.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is prosecuting the case.