An inmate has been found guilty of slashing a federal corrections officer at a New York City prison. Mario Powell, from the Bronx, faced a Manhattan federal court where a jury delivered the conviction after a five-day trial, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York reported.
According to the office of U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, Powell "brutally assaulted a federal corrections officer with a makeshift weapon made of razor blades." The incident occurred on May 30, 2020, at the Metropolitan Correctional Center where Powell attacked the officer, resulting in lacerations to the officer's neck. This violent confrontation has led to Powell being held accountable by a jury for his actions, as per the press release.
The jury found Powell, 34, guilty on two counts: one for assaulting a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon and one for possession of prison contraband. The assault charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and the contraband charge could lead to another five years, defined by federal law, but the actual sentences will depend on the discretion of U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan at the sentencing scheduled for November 14.
The conviction reflects the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas John Wright, Henry L. Ross, and Leslie B. Arffa, with support from Paralegal Specialists Myrnette Millington and Phineas Santello.
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