Inmate sentenced for prison murder

From U.S. Attorney's Office

(BEAUMONT, TX)  United States Attorney John M. Bales announced today that a federal inmate has pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder and has been sentenced to twenty-eight (28) years in federal prison for his role in the May 7, 2005 murder of another federal prisoner while they were incarcerated in the United States Penitentiary in Beaumont (USP-Beaumont). 

MICHAEL BACOTE, 34, a former resident of the District of Columbia, (D.C.) pleaded guilty to a charge of Second Degree Murder and was sentenced late yesterday during an appearance in Federal District Court before the Honorable Marcia Crone.

        According to court documents, on the evening of May 7, 2005 inmate Keith Barnes, also a former D.C. resident, was discovered dead in his cell by Bureau of Prisons Correctional staff. Barnes, who had arrived at USP-Beaumont the previous day, had been stabbed more than one hundred times.  Shortly thereafter, Bacote, along with fellow inmates Marwin Mosley, Joseph Ebron and Charles Sherman, all D.C. inmates serving federal sentences at USP-Beaumont, were identified as the alleged suspects.  Bacote admitted to staging himself near Barnes' cell and acting as a "look-out" to help facilitate the crime while Ebron and Mosley were killing Barnes inside the cell. 

        Last month a federal jury convicted Joseph Ebron of capital murder and he was sentenced to death.  Marwin Mosley died while incarcerated in December 2007.  Charges are still pending against Charles Sherman.

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joe Batte and John A. Craft.