Houston man sentenced for assaulting federal correctional officer
Published 1:00 pm Wednesday, July 29, 2026
CORPUS CHRISTI— A Houston man already serving time in federal prison has been sentenced to an additional two years for assaulting a correctional officer at the Federal Correctional Institution in Three Rivers.
Melvin Jones, 27, pleaded guilty April 16 to forcibly assaulting a federal correctional officer.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos sentenced Jones to two years in federal prison, to be served consecutively to his current sentence. He also was ordered to serve two years of supervised release following his release.
During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors presented evidence that Jones had been involved in three additional altercations with other inmates after entering his guilty plea.
According to court records, Jones was incarcerated at FCI Three Rivers when the assault occurred on Sept. 25, 2025.
Federal prosecutors said a correctional officer attempted to search Jones after suspecting he possessed a contraband cellphone. When the officer tried to retrieve the device, Jones resisted and repeatedly struck the officer in the head and neck.
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Other correctional officers intervened, restrained Jones and separated him from the victim, who suffered abrasions and soreness to the head and neck.
Jones has remained in federal custody throughout the case and will continue serving his sentence.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Martin and Patrick Overman prosecuted the case.
Jakob Gurley is a multimedia journalist with the Victoria Advocate. He can be reached at jakob.gurley@vicad.com.