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Jury Convicts Inmate of Possessing Multiple Weapons Inside SVSP in Soledad



SALINAS, California- Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on Friday, January 17 that a Monterey County jury convicted 38-year-old David Player, an inmate at the Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad, of two counts of possession of stabbing instruments while confined to the Salinas Valley State Prison.
During the 4 day trial, the jury heard evidence that, on April 17, 2018, correctional officers attempted to search Inmate Player, but the he resisted the officers’ once they began to search. As officers struggled with Inmate Player, they observed an inmate manufactured weapon—a six-inch sharpened stabbing instrument—fall from Inmate Player’s waistband.
Additionally, on October 1, 2018, Inmate Player was involved in a one on one fight with another inmate on the prison yard. Once a correctional officer began to break up the fight, Inmate Player twice attempted to throw a different six-inch inmate manufactured stabbing weapon over the prison walls.
Correctional officers testified that inmate manufactured weapons are dangerous to everyone who works and lives in the Salinas Valley State Prison, as they cause serious injuries and deaths.
Monterey County Superior Court Judge Timothy Roberts presided over the trial and will pronounce Inmate Player’s sentence on February 5, 2020. Under California’s “Three Strikes” Law, Mr. Player faces a mandatory sentence of fifty (50) years-to-life in the state prison.
Previously, Inmate Player was convicted of second-degree robbery, attempted voluntary manslaughter with a firearm, attempted willful murder with a firearm, and assault by a life prison upon a correction officer.
District Attorney Investigator Jackie Meroney investigated this case, along with Salinas Valley State Prison Correctional Officers M. Matias, J. Molina, and R. Salgado.

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