By Michael Owens
Reporter / Bristol Herald Courier
Published: October 2, 2008

Few details are being released about an inmate’s death Tuesday at a federal prison in Jonesville, Va.

“We’re not listing anything right now until the investigation is complete,” U.S. Department of Justice spokesman Todd Sloop said by telephone Wednesday.

Quinten Yancey Corniel, 34, address unknown, was injured during an “incident … involving two inmates” at 10:21 a.m. and was pronounced dead 90 minutes later at Lee Regional Hospital, according to a news release issued Wednesday morning.

There were no other staff or inmate injuries, and the facility is currently on lockdown, Sloop said.

“We had the FBI in yesterday, and we’re still looking into it,” he added.

Corniel, serving a sentence of six years and five months for a felon in possession of ammunition conviction, arrived at the United States Penitentiary, Lee on May 20 and was scheduled for release on Aug. 26, 2009. 

He was sentenced Dec. 4, 2003, in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, court records show.

“The cause of death has not been determined, an autopsy has been ordered and next of kin have been notified,” the release states.

Also kept under wraps is the name of the other inmate involved in the incident. Any possible charges arising from Corniel’s death would be filed in federal court, Sloop said.

No charges had been filed as of Wednesday afternoon.

The Lee County prison is a maximum security facility, where Corniel was housed, that has a minimum security wing, Sloop said.