Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia
A former official at the James River Residential Reentry Facility has admitted to accepting bribes from an inmate with whom he had an inappropriate relationship. Marlon R. Jones, Jr., 44, from Portsmouth, pled guilty to charges of taking bribes as a public official in Newport News, Virginia.
Court documents reveal that Jones, who held supervisory authority over an inmate referred to as L.C., engaged in misconduct between April 2021 and September 2022. The relationship extended beyond professional boundaries and involved sexual contact and the exchange of explicit messages via phone and text.
Jones received payments from L.C. on multiple occasions to assist in concealing violations committed by the inmate. An investigation revealed that out of fourteen incidents involving L.C., only three were properly recorded after another supervisor assumed control of the facility.
Financial transactions between Jones and L.C. included both physical currency and electronic transfers through CashApp. Between September 24, 2021, and March 29, 2022, L.C. transferred $650 to Jones across five transactions.
The case was announced by Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, alongside Timothy C. Edmiston from the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Mid-Atlantic Region following acceptance of the plea by U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Leonard.
Jones is scheduled for sentencing on August 7 and could face up to 15 years in prison; however, federal sentences often fall below maximum penalties based on guidelines and statutory factors considered by a judge.
Prosecutors handling the case are Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian J. Samuels and Julie Podlesni.
For further details regarding this case or related documents, refer to resources available through the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia or search PACER using Case No. 4:25-cr-3.
