Da’Quan Tucker, a 23-year-old inmate from Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for a violent and unprovoked assault on a fellow inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Otisville, New York.
The sentencing was issued by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. It arises from an incident on April 3, 2024, when Tucker stabbed his former cellmate in the prison yard with a 6-inch contraband knife.
Related posts
This Article Includes
- 0.1 Related posts
- 0.2 3 people detained for conspiring to traffic guns from Virginia to DC
- 0.3 DC Police Identify Man And Woman Discovered Dead In Apparent Murder-suicide
- 1 Unprovoked Assault in Prison Yard
- 2 Additional Penalties and Previous Offenses
- 3 Threats of Further Violence
- 4 Investigation and Prosecution
Unprovoked Assault in Prison Yard
According to federal authorities, Tucker repeatedly stabbed the victim in the head and face, causing significant injuries. The assault, characterized as savage and unprovoked, occurred in a public area of the facility with other inmates and officials present.
“Da’Quan Tucker brutally attacked a fellow inmate in the prison yard at FCI Otisville without provocation,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, who emphasized the danger such violence poses not only to inmates but also to prison staff. “This kind of conduct will not be tolerated in our federal prison system.”
Additional Penalties and Previous Offenses
In addition to his nearly five-year jail sentence, Tucker will spend three years of supervised release. He had previously pled guilty to two federal offenses:
- Assault with a Dangerous Weapon
- Possession of Contraband in Prison
Tucker was on supervised release at the time of the attack, indicating a continuing record of aggressive behavior.
Threats of Further Violence
Tucker allegedly told prison personnel after the assault that if given the opportunity, he would attack the victim again—statements that prosecutors claimed proved a clear intent to do even greater injury, possibly attempted murder.
Prosecutors stated that this behavior constituted a persistent threat to the jail population’s safety, justifying the harsh sentence.
Investigation and Prosecution
Tucker’s conviction was the result of an investigation undertaken by FCI Otisville staff and the FBI’s Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force. U.S. Attorney Clayton complimented their efforts, as well as the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Shaun E. Werbelow and Justin L. Brooke, who handled the prosecution.
