A federal inmate charged with criminal homicide for the fatal stabbing of another federal inmate at the Lackawanna County Prison waived his preliminary hearing on Dec. 5.
Now, Eli Calero’s case is headed to county court. He is charged with criminal homicide for the Sept. 9 death.
Calero, 43, formerly of East Stroudsburg, and the victim, Michael Jones Jr., 45, formerly of Wilkes-Barre, were U.S. Marshals Service prisoners being housed on the same block at the prison while their federal drug cases progressed through the U.S. District Court system, according to District Attorney Brian Gallagher.
During an altercation between the men, Jones suffered injuries that resulted in his death.
“This senseless death occurred because of a fight over access to a newspaper on the block,” Gallagher said following the fatal incident.
According to the criminal complaint:
The deadly Sept. 9 assault occurred in the prison’s “Echo Unit, K Block, cell K2.” Surveillance footage investigators reviewed showed Jones entering Calero’s cell at 11:30 a.m. and Calero dragging Jones out of the cell about 14 minutes later.
“Calero then stands over Jones, takes off his shirts, and punches Jones twice in his face/neck areas while lying on the floor,” county Detective Vince Butkiewicz wrote in an affidavit of probable cause. “Jones did not appear to be conscious when drug out of cell K2. While standing over Jones as his body was limp, Calero appears to point and exchange words with another inmate identified as Renardo Sims. Calero then dragged Jones back into cell K2.”
Staff found Jones lying on the cell floor bleeding, the cell’s window covered from the inside by newspaper. They removed him from the cell and began CPR.
Questioned about the incident, Calero claimed he defended himself after Jones entered his cell and “made homosexual comments,” according to the criminal complaint.
Prison staff rendered aid to Jones and he was transported to Geisinger Community Medical Center. Minutes after his arrival at the hospital, a trauma doctor declared him dead.
A review of tablet messages indicated that the incident arose following a conflict about a newspaper.
Calero was indicted by a federal grand jury in March on a drug trafficking charge. According to acting U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges Calero possessed over 500 grams of methamphetamine and an amount of cocaine for distribution.
In December, a federal jury found Jones guilty of conspiracy to distribute in excess of 40 grams of fentanyl, possession of 40 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm while a felon and related charges. He had yet to be sentenced.