MCDOWELL COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) — A federal inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) McDowell has pleaded guilty to possession of a weapon while incarcerated, according to an announcement from Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston.
Demetrius McKinney, 45, admitted in court on Tuesday to having a handcrafted weapon, commonly known as a “shank,” during a search conducted after an altercation inside the facility on April 24, 2024.
Court documents reveal that following the incident, correctional staff conducted a search of McKinney and found the weapon concealed in his right front pants pocket. The weapon was described as a 6.5-inch metal object with one end sharpened to a point and a cloth-wrapped handle fashioned on the other end — a common makeshift weapon used in prison settings.
McKinney now faces up to five years in prison, along with three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on August 11, 2025.
The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is handling the prosecution. Senior U.S. District Judge David A. Faber is presiding over the case.
