Inmate pleads guilty to possessing a weapon at FCI McDowell

MCDOWELL COUNTY, WV (WVNS) — An inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution McDowell pleaded guilty to possessing a weapon.

26-year-old Tony Lashon Cleveland Jr., who was an inmate at Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) McDowell, pleaded guilty to possession of a weapon by an inmate at a federal prison on Tuesday, July 16, 2024.

According to court documents, a staff member at FCI McDowell held a pat-down search of Cleveland on September 12, 2023. During the search, the staff member discovered a handcrafted weapon, also known as a “shank” in one of Cleveland’s socks.

The weapon was a piece of metal around five inches long with a sharpened point on one end and melted plastic on the other end to create a handle. Cleveland admitted that he made the shank and planned to use it as a weapon.

Cleveland’s sentencing is scheduled for November 12, 2024, and he faces up to five years in prison, three years of parole, and a $250,000 fine.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Will Thompson, who praised the Federal Bureau of Prisons for their work on the investigation.

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