BOISE - Yesterday, former IDOC correctional officer Robert Wallin, 36, was sentenced to 37 months in prison, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Wallin to serve three years’ supervised release after he is released from prison.
The case stemmed from a sting operation initiated by the FBI at IDOC’s request to weed out corruption among IDOC correctional officers. The FBI was able to locate corrupt prison guards by using undercover agents who invited the guards to commit crimes outside of IDOC’s facilities. The defendants believed that the undercover agents they were assisting were large‑scale drug traffickers. The guards provided security and completed other tasks for the undercover agents during staged deliveries of drug loads and drug money. No drugs were in the sole possession of the defendants, and no drugs or other contraband were brought into any IDOC facility as part of these operations.
Wallin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to aid and abet drug trafficking. According to court records, Wallin joined co-defendant Timothy Landon, 36, in assisting the drug trafficking organization. This included participating in operations in which large quantities of drugs and cash were delivered to the purported drug trafficking organization.
Co‑defendants and former IDOC correctional officers Richard McCollough, 37, Erik Thompson, 38, and Landon also pleaded guilty to related crimes and are awaiting sentencing.
McCollough will be sentenced on Feb. 25, 2019, Landon will be sentenced on Feb. 26, 2019, and Thompson will be sentenced on April 7, 2019. Judge Winmill is the sentencing judge for all defendants.
In addition to the FBI, the Boise Police Department, the Meridian Police Department, IDOC’s Special Investigations Unit, and the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office participated in the investigation.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
