United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas
07/28/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/28/2026 15:19
Inmate receives additional sentence for punching law enforcement officer
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 27-year-old Houston resident has been sentenced for forcibly assaulting a federal correctional officer.
Melvin Jones pleaded guilty April 16.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos ordered Jones to serve two years in federal prison, consecutive to his existing sentence, to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Jones had been in three additional altercations with other inmates since entering his plea of guilty.
In 2025, Jones was an inmate at Three Rivers Federal Correctional Institution.
On Sept. 25, 2025, a federal correctional officer attempted to search Jones after suspecting he possessed a contraband cell phone. When the officer attempted to retrieve it, Jones resisted and repeatedly punched the officer in the head and neck.
Other officers intervened, restrained Jones, and separated him from the officer. The victim sustained abrasions and soreness to his head and neck.
Jones has been and will remain in custody.
FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Martin and Patrick Overman prosecuted the case.
United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas published this content on July 28, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on July 28, 2026 at 21:19 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]