by: Ashley McLeod
Three individuals involved with smuggling and bribery at a federal prison in Prince George County have been sentenced to a total of more than 12 years in prison.
Alvin Dewayne Hall and Patrick Gregory were both serving time at Petersburg Federal Correctional Complex where the third defendant, Jeffery T. Jones, of Colonial Heights, worked as a correctional officer. Jones accepted money from the inmates in exchange for cigarettes and marijuana.
In November, Jones pleaded guilty to receipt of bribe by a public official and providing prohibited object to prisoners in custody. Jones was sentenced to 15 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release.
Both Hall and Gregory pleaded guilty to bribery of a public official and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana. Hall was facing up to 25 years in prison, but was sentenced to eight years with four years of supervised release. Gregory was facing up to 20 years, but was sentenced to three years one month, with three years of supervised release.
Jones, who was honorably discharged from the Army in 1981, had worked in the Bureau of Prisons for more than 20 years, beginning his employment in Prince George in 1991.
According to court documents, Jones began accepting bribes from Gregory in exchange for smuggling cigarettes into the facility.
Starting around September 2012, Hall convinced Gregory to get Jones to begin smuggling marijuana into the facility. Hall arranged for Jones to meet individuals in order to supply him with the payments and drugs.
On Nov. 1, 2012, Jones received a package from these individuals containing one fourth of a pound of marijuana, and $500 in cash. Jones dropped off the marijuana at his residence and went into work.
Other officers at the facility became suspicious of Jones after witnessing him receiving bribes from the inmates. Upon arrival at the facility, his car was searched and the money was found. Following this event Jones admitted to smuggling and accepting bribes.
Court documents state that Jones took part in this activity during a ‘time when he was in financial shambles.’
During the time that Jones was accepting bribes from the inmates, he received somewhere between $1,500 and $5,000 in bribes, and smuggled 4.5 pounds of marijuana and approximately 20 cartons of cigarettes into the correctional facility.
Source: hopewellnews
