FAYETTE COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Anthony Ciliberti, Jr., Prosecuting Attorney for Fayette County, announced that on December 13, 2024, Circuit Judge Thomas H. Ewing sentenced Erique Harris, 32, to an additional two to ten years in prison for the felony offense of malicious assault. Harris, currently an inmate at Mount Olive Correctional Complex in West Virginia, pleaded guilty to the crime on October 15, 2024.
Harris was already serving a 25- to 60-year sentence for first- and second-degree sexual assault convictions from Kanawha County when he committed the assault. Judge Ewing ordered the new sentence to run consecutively to Harris’s existing sentence. As a result, Harris must serve at least two additional years in prison after completing his Kanawha County sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
Details of the Assault
The malicious assault occurred on October 27, 2023, in a common area of the Mount Olive Correctional Complex. Harris attacked another inmate using a fan motor and an improvised shank, causing severe injuries, including internal bleeding and a collapsed lung. The incident was captured on the prison’s video surveillance system.
When questioned by investigators, Harris admitted to the assault.
Legal Proceedings
The case was prosecuted by Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Sarah F. Smith, with the investigation conducted by the West Virginia State Police.
Prosecutor Ciliberti commended the swift investigative work and effective prosecution of the case, emphasizing the importance of accountability for violent crimes, even within correctional facilities.
