RALEIGH - The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that in federal court, United States District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced ARLINDA HENDRIX LEE, 47, of Windsor, North Carolina, to 12 months and 1 day in prison, followed by 1 year of supervised release.
An investigation revealed that LEE, a correctional officer at Rivers Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Winton, North Carolina, was accepting bribes and helping to smuggle contraband into the prison for inmates.
On July 23, 2018, LEE pleaded guilty to a Criminal Information that charged her with Receipt of Bribes by a Public Official from 2015 to Jan. 27, 2017.
In December 2015, investigators became aware that an inmate at Rivers FCI was using contraband cell phones to facilitate the smuggling of contraband cigarettes and drugs into the prison, as well as to communicate with drug associates. A review of telephone records from Sept. 22, 2015 through March 28, 2016 revealed that the inmate had 53 contacts with phone numbers associated with LEE. The inmate later obtained a new cell phone, and phone records revealed five additional contacts with LEE.
Investigators determined that between May 10, 2012, and Aug. 18, 2016, LEE received $7,350 in wire transfers from known associates of Rivers FCI inmates in exchange for helping to smuggle contraband into the prison.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Scott A. Lemmon.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
