Dublin, GA: Meagan Deaton, 23, from Douglas, Georgia, pled guilty and was sentenced earlier this week in federal court in Dublin, Georgia, for her role in attempting to smuggle a cell phone into a federal prison facility for an inmate.
According to evidence presented during the guilty plea hearing, Deaton, a former Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Contract Correctional Officer assigned to the Correctional Institution in McRae, Georgia attempted to provide a cell phone to an inmate on Oct. 17, 2013 in exchange for money. After entering her plea of guilty, Deaton was sentenced to 30 days in prison, 60 hours of community service, and one year of supervised release.
United States Attorney Edward Tarver said, “This defendant chose to place her own selfish interests above the safety of other BOP employees and the public she was sworn to protect. Those who attempt to smuggle contraband into federal prisons can expect to join the inmates from whom they are attempting to profit."
Bob Bourbon, Special Agent in Charge, U. S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, said: “Introducing contraband such as cellphones into a prison is dangerous and can place BOP employees and other inmates in the institution at risk. This has been a successful team effort to identify, investigate, and prosecute this matter."
The case was investigated the U. S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U. S. Attorney Carlton Bourne prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
