The Federal Correctional Institution, Waseca (FCI Waseca) is a low-security United States federal prison for female offenders in Minnesota. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice.[1] The site, located 75 miles (121 km) from Minneapolis, was converted into a prison in 1992 after formerly serving as a University of Minnesota campus.
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| Location | Waseca, Minnesota |
|---|---|
| Status | Operational |
| Security class | Low-security |
| Population | 728 |
| Opened | 1995 |
| Managed by | Federal Bureau of Prisons |
History
editFCI Waseca opened in 1995 as an all-male facility. It used many of the buildings from the former college. In 2006, FCI Waseca received its most high-profile prisoner when Jeffrey Skilling, CEO of the now defunct Enron Corporation was sent there after he was convicted of insider trading, securities fraud and other charges for making a $60 million profit by selling company stock in anticipation of the company's 2001 collapse.[2] Skilling was transferred to FCI Englewood, another low-security facility in Colorado, after FCI Waseca was converted into an all-female prison in 2008.
Notable incidents
editThe FBI was called in to investigate an act of violence at FCI Waseca in June 2011. Felecia Thomas, a 45-year-old inmate serving a sentence for arson, allegedly attempted to strangle another inmate with a rope taken from a laundry bag. Thomas pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon on January 11, 2013 and was subsequently sentenced to an additional 41 months in prison. She was scheduled to be released in 2021.[3][4][5]
Notable inmates (current and former)
edit| Inmate Name | Register Number | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holly Ann Grigsby | 42508-086 | Serving a life sentence.[6] | White supremacist. Convicted of helping her boyfriend, David Joseph Pedersen, murder 4 people across the Pacific Northwest in 2011.[7][8][9] |
| Catherine Greig | 57820-112 | Originally sentenced to 21 months; extended following disciplinary action & was released July 2020; served over 8 years total. | Girlfriend of former FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive and Irish Mob figure James "Whitey" Bulger; pleaded guilty in 2012 to harboring a fugitive and identity fraud for illegally obtaining Social Security numbers, licenses and birth certificates in order to assist Bulger evade capture.[10][11] |
| Angela Johnson | 08337-029 | Serving a life sentence; currently at FCI Aliceville. | The first woman sentenced to death by a United States federal jury since the 1950s. She was sentenced to death for her role in the murders of five people in 1993. She was re-sentenced to life without parole in December 2014. Her accomplice, Dustin Honken, was sentenced to death and executed on July 17, 2020. |
| Shelley Shannon | 59755-065 | Was serving a 20-year sentence under her real name, Rachelle Shannon; released in 2018. | Member of the extremist group Army of God; served 10 years in state prison for the attempted murder of Kansas abortion doctor George Tiller in 1993; pleaded guilty in 1995 to firebombing six abortion clinics in California, Nevada and Oregon.[12] |
| Lisa Biron | 12775-049 | Sentenced to 40 years, scheduled for release on June 17, 2047 | Transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, possession of child pornography, sexual exploitation of children |
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "BOP: FCI Waseca". Bop.gov. Retrieved 2013-08-04.
- ^ Nienaber, Dan (2006-12-06). "Waseca set to welcome infamous inmate - Mankato Free Press: Local News". Mankato Free Press. Retrieved 2015-11-03. (Archive)
- ^ U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Minnesota. "FBI — Federal Inmate Indicted for Assaulting Another Inmate". Fbi.gov. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
- ^ U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Minnesota. "FBI — Federal Inmate Sentenced for Assaulting Another Inmate". Fbi.gov. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
- ^ "Federal Bureau of Prisons". Bop.gov. Archived from the original on June 20, 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-04.
- ^ "Holly Grigsby gets life sentence for Northwest crime spree - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2014-07-16. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ "Chilling new details surface in deadly crime spree case". NBC News. 2011-10-11. Archived from the original on September 26, 2021. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ "Holly Grigsby, suspect in Northwest crime spree, admits to killing Washington woman - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2011-10-11. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ "Holly Grigsby to be sentenced for role in 2011 white supremacist killing spree". oregonlive. 2014-07-15. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ "Girlfriend gets 8 years for hiding 'Whitey' Bulger - CNN.com". Articles.cnn.com. 2012-06-12. Archived from the original on 2012-07-06. Retrieved 2013-08-04.
- ^ "Longtime girlfriend of "Whitey" Bulger has 8-year sentence upheld". Fox News. 2013-05-17. Retrieved 2013-08-04.
- ^ Published: September 09, 1995 (1995-09-09). "Woman Gets 20-Year Sentence In Attacks on Abortion Clinics". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-08-04.
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