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.