NEW BERN - United States Attorney Thomas W. Walker announced today RAYE LYNN HOLLEY, 50,a formercorrectional officer at the Rivers Correctional Institution, Winton, North Carolina, and KENNETH DODD, a formerinmate at the Rivers Correctional Institution, were sentenced today by United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan to 20 months and 37 months imprisonment, respectively.
Investigation revealed that HOLLEY, while employed as a correctional officer at the Rivers Correctional Institution, accepted payments from inmates within the facility in return for smuggling in contraband items such as cell phones and cigarettes. It further showed that DODD and other inmates paid bribes to correctional officers to gain their cooperation in the scheme. Two others have been previously convicted and sentenced for their conduct in the scheme: former Rivers Correctional Officer Rhonda Boydwassentenced in July 2013 to 20 months’ imprisonment; and former Rivers inmate Roland Bazemore was sentenced in April 2013 to 30 months’ imprisonment. In May, 2013, former correctional officer Rashonda Cross entered a plea of guilty for conspiring to accept bribes from inmates at Rivers, as well. Cross is set to be sentenced in December 2013.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance provided by the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
