BENTON — An inmate at the federal prison in Marion pled guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Benton Tuesday to possessing marijuana in November of last year at the prison where he is confined.

Court records show 48-year-old Raydale R. Mitchell was charged with the offense by a federal grand jury in August of this year. Sentencing for Mitchell is currently set for March 20 at 10 a.m. at the federal courthouse in Benton.

Mitchell faces up to an additional five years in prison for the marijuana offense which must be imposed consecutively to the 168-month sentence for distributing heroin, imposed in 2013, that he was serving at the time he possessed the marijuana.vMitchell was returned to the custody of the United States Marshal to await sentencing in this case.

The investigation leading to the charge in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James M. Cutchin.