A man sitting in the San Mateo county jail as he awaits a murder trial has been charged with possessing three homemade shanks in the facility. The 60-year-old man, Gregory Leon Elarms Sr. pleaded no contest to having the weapons in the county lockup, in exchange for a sentence of no more than four years in prison for the crime, the San Mateo Daily Journal reported.

Possessing the weapons in jail is a felony charge. Elarms' first weapon was made from a sport, the second a toothbrush and the third was two pencils strapped together, the article stated. Each of the weapons had been sharpened to a point and jail officials discovered them in his cell. The maximum sentence of the crime is six years. The crime also keeps him in custody at the jail under a $500,000 bail.

Elarms was the prime suspect in a 2012 shooting, according to the Daily Journal although the charges have been dismissed. However, evidence that made authorities believe he was responsible for murder, including a police confession, may be used in his bail hearing. The article stated that prosecutors may use the evidence to show his history of violence.

Patch reported Elarms shot a community leader in East Palo Alto. He also has an extensive criminal history, including drug use.