FCI Berlin prisoner gets 30 months for inmate assault

CONCORD - An inmate at FCI Berlin was sentenced in federal court in Concord for pummeling another inmate with a pair of padlocks strapped together.

Aniel Gomez, 48, was sentenced to an additional 30 months in prison. Gomez was also ordered to pay $1,392 in restitution to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. On June 14, 2023, Gomez pleaded guilty to assault.

"The defendant's attack not only caused significant harm to another inmate, but it risked the safety of the entire community including the prison's staff," said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. "The U.S. Department of Justice considers the custody and care of federal inmates to be a serious responsibility and we will continue to support our partners at the Federal Bureau of Prisons to accomplish this mission."

"Today's sentence makes it clear that prison is not a place to continue committing crimes," said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. "Aniel Gomez brutally beat a fellow inmate and will now spend more time behind bars for jeopardizing that inmate's safety and the safety of the prison's staff. This case demonstrates how the FBI will not hesitate to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that anyone who engages in violence will be brought to justice."

On December 19, 2022, Gomez beat another inmate with a homemade weapon consisting of two padlocks tied together. Prison video footage showed Gomez waiting for the victim, who was attacked as they stepped out of a shower. The victim suffered head trauma including the loss of teeth and lacerations above the right eyebrow and back of the head.

At the time of the assault, Gomez was serving a 365-month imprisonment for conspiracy to maintain a residence for manufacturing and distributing marijuana, and conspiracy to manufacture and distribute 100 or more marijuana plants. Gomez's sentence will be consecutive to his current sentence.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and FCI-Berlin Special Investigative Services led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter prosecuted the case.