A federal correctional officer and his wife pleaded guilty on Aug. 5 to smuggling contraband, including a drug used to treat opioid addiction, to an inmate at the Federal Correction Complex in Lompoc in exchange for $6,650 over several months.
Paul Betancourt, 38, and Sylvia Betancourt, 49, both of Lompoc, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide contraband to a federal inmate. According to their plea agreements, Paul Betancourt was employed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons as a correctional officer at FCC Lompoc. From May 2023 through September 2023, he agreed with his wife Sylvia Betancourt to provide contraband items—including controlled substances such as suboxone—to an inmate. Sylvia Betancourt received payment and contraband from the inmate through intermediaries before delivering them to her husband.
The defendants admitted that on at least 13 occasions they met with or received payments from either the inmate or intermediaries for delivering contraband into the prison. Payments ranged from $100 up to $1,500 per transaction, according to court documents. In total, they received $6,650 for providing these items.
The Bureau of Prisons has indefinitely suspended Paul Betancourt following these admissions. United States District Judge Anne Hwang scheduled sentencing hearings for January 27, 2027; each defendant faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison if convicted.
The United States Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher C. Kendall and Patrick Castañeda are prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California serves more than 19 million residents across seven counties and focuses on prosecuting federal criminal cases while working with law enforcement partners on public safety initiatives; it also supports community outreach programs focused on victim assistance and public education, according to its official website.