The United States Attorney's Office

Southern District of Illinois

NEWS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS

A. COURTNEY COX, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

Nine Executive Drive, Fairview Heights, Illinois 62208, Telephone (618) 628-3700

For Immediate Release

March 3, 2009

FEDERAL INMATE SENTENCED
FOR POSSESSION OF ICEPICK

A. Courtney Cox, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on February 26, 2009, CHRISTOPHER BENSON, age 32, an inmate at FCI-Greenville, in Bond County, Illinois, pled guilty to possession of contraband by a federal inmate, and was immediately sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Under the law, BENSON’S new sentence must run consecutive to the sentence he is currently serving.

The violation occurred on November 11, 2008, when correctional officers at FCI-Greenville discovered an ice pick type weapon in BENSON’S cell underneath his locker. BENSON admitted possession of the weapon. BENSON, as a federal inmate, was prohibited from possessing this ice pick type weapon.

The investigation was conducted by the Special Investigative Services at FCI- Greenville and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott.