A former corrections officer at the U.S. penitentiary in Atlanta was arraigned Monday on federal charges that he accepted a bribe and smuggled contraband in to an inmate, authorities said.
Kenneth Holsey, 45, of Riverdale, also is accused of making false statements to federal agents. He was indicted on Nov. 27 and has been released on bond.
“Instead of fulfilling his duties, he allegedly abandoned his responsibilities in exchange for money, placing the safety of the prison staff, inmates, and the surrounding community at risk,” U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said in the news release.
Holsey, who worked for the Federal Bureau of Prisons for 20 years, allegedly accepted a cash bribe between May and September 2011 to smuggle a cell phone into the prison for the inmate. He also allegedly brought in cartons of cigarettes. The inmate arranged for Holsey to meet his girlfriend at a location outside the prison for payment, according to the information presented in court.
Federal agents recorded conversations earlier this year between Holsey and the inmate during which they discussed the possibility of smuggling marijuana into the prison, prosecutors said. Holsey obtained contact information for the inmate’s girlfriend to make arrangements to be paid in advance, they said.
The charges carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
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