The United States Penitentiary, Lee (USP Lee) is a high-security United States federal prison for male inmates in Virginia. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice. The facility also has an adjacent satellite prison camp which houses minimum-security male offenders.
The annual per capita income of Lee County was $12,917 in the early 1990s, making the Virginia area a prime candidate to host a federal prison and bring money into the community.[4]
Architectural and construction work of the 635,097-square-foot (59,000 m2) facility was administered by Hayes, Seay, Mattern & Mattern, now known as AECOM.[5]Computer modeling was utilized to identify and minimize blindspots of prison watchtowers. Construction began in the summer of 1998 on a budget of $102 million. The penitentiary was completed in August 2001 and began receiving inmates in 2002. According to project manager Gary Carsten of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the main recurring problem of the facility is the excessive strain on Lee County's sewage system.[4]
Archaeological discoveries on the prison property include arrowheads and pottery from a Native American gravesite believed to be associated with an ancient hospital dating as far back as 10,000 years.[4]
Notable incidents
On February 25, 2008, inmate Edward Porta was noted to be missing during a 4 p.m. count after apparently walking away from the minimum security camp.[6] Porta defrauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture of more than $400,000. He remained a fugitive for over eight years until he was recaptured in May 2016, and was profiled on the television program America's Most Wanted.[7]
There have been incidents of violence at USP Lee and several homicides. Inmate Quinten Corniel was killed on September 30, 2008, and inmate Ernest Bennett died on January 22, 2010, both during altercations with other inmates.[8][9] On April 29, 2010, Filikisi Hafoka, a member of the Tongan Crip Gang, was taken off life support after being stabbed on the previous weekend.[10] As is procedure, USP Lee went into lockdown after these incidents and investigations were conducted. The killers of Corniel and Bennett were subsequently convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.[11][12]
Hitman for Los Zetas, the armed wing of the Gulf Cartel in Mexico; convicted in 2012 of racketeering, drug trafficking conspiracy and weapons charges for committing crimes on the cartel's behalf including kidnapping, assault and murder.[14]
Serving a 25-year sentence; scheduled for release 28 April 2032.
Former leader of the Tijuana Cartel in Mexico, pleaded guilty in 2013 to conspiracy and money laundering for directing the importation of thousands of tons of cocaine into the US; the cartel killed over 1,000 civilians and police officers over a 16-year period.
Serving a 55-year sentence; scheduled for release in 2057.
Pleaded guilty in 2013 to murdering a federal official in connection with the robbery and fatal shooting of US Customs and Border Patrol Agent Robert W. Rosas, Jr. on July 23, 2009; his accomplices are also serving long sentences.[16]
Somali pirate leader; convicted in November 2010 connection with an April 2010 attack on the American warship Nicholas, during which Hasan fired a rocket propelled grenade at what he believed was a merchant ship he and his co-defendants aimed to commandeer.[17]
Former Broward County Sheriff; pleaded guilty in 2007 to mail fraud and tax evasion for illegally accepting over $150,000 in improper payments, income and other benefits from Sheriff's Office contractors.[18][19]
^"USP Lee." Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved on January 3, 2012. "USP LEE U.S. PENITENTIARY LEE COUNTY INDUSTRIAL PARK HICKORY FLATS ROAD PENNINGTON GAP, VA 24277"
^"USP Lee." Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved on January 3, 2012. "USP Lee is located in southwest Virginia in Lee County, 8 miles east of Jonesville, off U.S. 58 at the intersection of State Route 638."
