Small Florida City Gains Attention for Housing Notorious Criminals in Federal Prison
A small city in Florida, once known as the “Cabbage Capital of the World,” has found itself in the national spotlight due to its connection to some of the most infamous criminals in U.S. history.
The town of Coleman in Sumter County is home to USP Coleman II, a high-security federal penitentiary that has housed a number of notable inmates over the years.
Located about 10 minutes southeast of Coleman, USP Coleman II is part of the larger Coleman Federal Correctional Complex. The complex also includes FCI Coleman Low and FCI Coleman Medium, which are low-security and medium-security federal correctional institutions, respectively.
Notably, USP Coleman II has recently made headlines due to an incident involving former Olympic sports doctor Larry Nassar, who was stabbed multiple times during an altercation with another inmate on Sunday.
The Florida Board of Prisons has confirmed the incident, but the identities of those involved have yet to be disclosed. Immediate medical attention was provided, and the injured inmate was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.
Famous Inmates Over the Years
The prison’s long history has included several high-profile inmates, including:
Larry Nassar
Larry Nassar, 59, is the former U.S. women’s gymnastics team doctor accused of sexual abuse spanning decades. Nassar pleaded guilty to federal charges related to child sexual abuse and had over 37,000 images of child sexual abuse material and videos in his possession. His crimes affected over 265 victims, many of whom gave emotional testimony during his sentencing.
James “Whitey” Bulger
James Bulger, better known as “Whitey,” was one of the most notorious mob leaders in Boston and was convicted in 2013. Despite being an informant for the FBI, Bulger maintained ties to violent crime throughout his life. He was killed in 2018 at the age of 89 during his prison transfer to Hazelton Federal Prison in West Virginia.
Robert Allen Stanford
Stanford, 73, ran one of the largest Ponzi schemes in U.S. history, amounting to $7 billion in fraudulent financial transactions. Convicted in 2012, Stanford received a 110-year prison sentence. Despite being imprisoned, he has consistently maintained his innocence, even as thousands of victims remain unpaid.
Stephen Caracappa
A former New York City police detective, Caracappa was one of the “Mob Cops” convicted in 2006. He and his partner Louis Eppolito were implicated in a series of organized crimes, including murder and racketeering, and were sentenced to life in prison in 2009. Caracappa passed away in 2017 at the age of 75.
Leonard Peltier
Leonard Peltier, a prominent Native American activist, was convicted in 1977 after being implicated in the murder of two FBI agents during a shootout on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Despite controversy surrounding his trial and appeals for clemency, Peltier remains imprisoned.
Benjamin Arellano Felix
Felix is known for leading the violent Tijuana Cartel, a major drug smuggling operation that transported marijuana, methamphetamine, and cocaine from Mexico into the United States. Arrested in 2002, he was notorious for his smuggling empire and evasion of law enforcement for decades.
Gabul Abdullah Ali
Ali, a Somali pirate, was sentenced to life in prison in 2011 following a high-profile incident involving the hijacking of a Danish family off the Somali coast. His trial marked one of the first piracy cases in U.S. courts since the 19th century.
Amine El Khalifi
El Khalifi was arrested in 2012 after plotting a suicide bombing on the U.S. Capitol as part of a terrorist operation. Pleading guilty to charges of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, he was sentenced to between 25 and 30 years in prison.
These figures represent just a handful of notorious inmates connected to the federal penitentiary system in this small Florida community. The prison’s history continues to illustrate its role as a key facility housing some of the most infamous criminals in the nation.
