A federal grand jury has indicted a 53-year-old inmate at the U.S. Penitentiary Canaan, accusing him of assaulting a prison employee and possessing a homemade weapon fitted with two razor blades. Donald Hinley faces charges tied to an incident that allegedly occurred on April 7, 2026, inside the high-security federal prison in Wayne County.
According to Fox 56, the indictment alleges Hinley assaulted a USP Canaan employee who was performing official duties at the time. The same indictment accuses him of possessing a 4 1/2-inch plastic weapon with two razor blades attached to one end, a detail prosecutors say underscores the danger the alleged confrontation posed to staff.
The case was investigated jointly by the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Special Investigative Service and the FBI’s Capital Area Resident Agency, per the station’s report. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony R. Williamson is prosecuting the matter, the outlet notes.
Potential Penalties If Convicted
If convicted, Hinley faces a maximum of 13 years in prison, followed by a term of supervised release and a fine, the same account states. Any actual sentence would ultimately be decided by a judge applying federal law and sentencing guidelines, rather than being automatically set at the statutory maximum.
Court filings reviewed by the station do not detail whether the employee was injured, nor do they address Hinley’s plea or any scheduled hearings, leaving key parts of the case still unresolved. The indictment represents an accusation, not a finding of guilt, and Hinley is presumed innocent unless and until proven otherwise in federal court.
Pattern of Weapon and Assault Cases at the Facility
USP Canaan has seen other federal indictments tied to violence behind its walls. In May 2026, the Justice Department announced that inmate Frederico Brown, 49, of Memphis, Tennessee, was indicted on charges of assault resulting in serious bodily injury, according to a notice from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. In September 2022, the same federal prosecutors’ office announced a separate indictment of a USP Canaan inmate on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of contraband in prison, according to a Justice Department announcement. And in 2016, the FBI’s Philadelphia field office said a federal grand jury in Scranton indicted inmate Joseph Wing, then 27, for allegedly assaulting another inmate with intent to commit a further offense, according to an FBI press release.
Hinley’s case remains an open federal prosecution, with the full indictment and any upcoming court dates not yet made public.
