BLUEFIELD, W.
Va. – After a one-day trial yesterday, a federal jury found Randy Hightower, also known as “Renere Hightower,” 41, guilty of possession of a weapon by an inmate at a federal prison.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 22, 2023, Hightower was an inmate at FCI McDowell when a staff member conducted a search of Hightower and found a handcrafted weapon commonly known as a “shank” in his right front pants pocket. The shank was a piece of metal with a sharpened point on one end, and a cloth handle made from an institutional blanket on the other.
Hightower faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Prisons conducted the investigation.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the jury trial. Assistant United States Attorneys Amy L. McLaughlin and Brian D. Parsons are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-144.