FCI McDowell Inmate Pleads Guilty To Possession Of A Weapon
Thursday, May 8, 2025, 3:45 P.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
BLUEFIELD, W.VA.- A 45-year-old inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution McDowell located in Welch, West Virginia, is facing up to an additional five years in federal prison after pleading guilty on Wednesday to possessing a weapon at a federal prison.
On Wednesday, May 7, 2025, Demetrius McKinney, 45, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution McDowell, appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia and pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Court Judge David A. Faber to Possession of a Weapon by an Inmate at a Federal Prison.
Judge Faber Schedules McKinney For Sentencing
Following entering his guilty plea, Judge Faber accepted the plea and scheduled sentencing for August 11, 2025. At that time, McKinney faces up to five years in federal prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. At sentencing, a U.S. District Court Judge will determine the term of imprisonment based on the seriousness of the offense and McKinney’s prior criminal history.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston and charging documents filed with the District Court, on April 24, 2024, McKinney, while serving a term of federal imprisonment at FCI McDowell, was involved in an altercation with another inmate.
   After the altercation, an FCI McDowell staff member searched McKinney and found a handcrafted weapon commonly known as a “shank” in his right front pants pocket. The shank was a piece of metal around six inches long, sharpened on one end and with a cloth handle on the other.
Acting U.S. Attorney Johnston commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Prisons for the investigation, which led to McKinney’s guilty plea on Wednesday.
