A drug trafficker from Kentucky, who is currently serving time in Pennsylvania, has been given an additional prison sentence of 41 months. This comes after he was found guilty of assaulting a corrections officer at the Federal Correctional Institute (FCI) Allenwood. The sentence was announced by federal officials on Monday, December 23rd.
Demetrius Catching, 34, from Nicholasville, Kentucky, assaulted the officer in 2016 during his 60-month imprisonment for distributing crack cocaine. The sentence, given by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, will be added to the 148 months Catching is presently serving for drug distribution and money laundering charges in Kentucky.
Catching’s criminal activities reached far beyond the confines of prison. In 2022, he confessed to engaging in marijuana trafficking in the Lexington area and using the resulting profits to place high-risk bets at Indiana casinos. When he was banned from one casino, he enlisted the help of others to place bets on his behalf, channeling his winnings into his own personal bank accounts. According to federal prosecutors, Catching had to forfeit $215,000 in drug earnings and was sentenced to 93 months for these offenses, in addition to receiving an extra 55 months for violating his supervised release conditions from a previous conviction.
The sentencing for the assault was postponed because Catching was being prosecuted in Kentucky for his financial and drug crimes, according to federal officials.
The FBI and the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service took charge of the investigation into the Pennsylvania assault case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. O’Hara spearheaded the prosecution efforts. In Kentucky, the investigation was led by the IRS, DEA, and Indiana Gaming Commission. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Roger West and Andrea Mattingly Williams were responsible for prosecuting the case.
According to federal law, Catching is required to serve a minimum of 85 percent of his combined sentences. Additionally, he will be placed under federal supervision for a period of five years after his release.
