U.S. Attorney Brian D. Miller announced Wednesday that Brayan Giron-Ferman, 22, and Tiago Bettencourt, 22, were each charged with possession of a weapon by a federal inmate stemming from incidents that allegedly occurred on February 27, 2026.
According to the indictments, Giron-Ferman allegedly possessed a prison-made weapon described as an approximately seven-and-a-half-inch sharpened piece of metal with a cloth handle, commonly referred to as a “shank.”
Bettencourt is accused of possessing a separate prison-made weapon described as an approximately nine-inch sharpened piece of plexiglass with a cloth handle, also commonly referred to as a “shank.”
The cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Special Investigative Services of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa Honora Berti is prosecuting both cases.
If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of up to five years in federal prison, along with a term of supervised release and a fine.