Jackson, Miss - James P. Cheatham III, a former federal corrections officer, pled guilty on June 1, 2017, to accepting bribes to introduce contraband into the federal correctional facility in Yazoo County, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain and Special Agent in Charge Robert Bourbon of the DOJ OIG’s Miami Field Office.
Cheatham, age 24, of Brandon, Mississippi was charged in a one-count federal indictment with being a public official providing a prohibited object to an inmate.
"Greed and corruption have no place in our criminal justice system," stated Special Agent in Charge Robert Bourbon of the DOJ OIG’s Miami Field Office. "We want to thank our law enforcement partners for their continued efforts to ensure that individuals who abuse their position are vigorously investigated, prosecuted, and punished."
Cheatham is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III. on September 5, 2017, at 9:00am. He faces a maximum term of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the Department of Justice-Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Chalk.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
