A 29-year-old guard at Coleman Federal Correctional Complex has pleaded guilty to a one-count indictment charging him with receipt of a bribe by a public official. Jason Monroe Epstein faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.
A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Epstein was employed as a corrections officer at the prison in Sumter County. Based on information from inmates at the facility, agents discovered that Epstein had been smuggling marijuana and tobacco products into the prison.
In exchange for these items, the inmates had arranged for third parties to send Epstein numerous wire transfers under false names.
During the course of the investigation, Epstein was interviewed by agents and admitted that he had smuggled marijuana and tobacco into the prison over a two-year period, from April 2012 to April 2014. Epstein also admitted that he had received “hundreds of dollars” in illegal payments for his actions.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
