Herbert Baylor, a former case manager with the Department of Corrections (DOC) in Washington, has pleaded guilty to one count of bribery related to a scheme involving the smuggling of narcotics and cigarettes into a correctional facility.
The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Kevin L. Hammond, Chief Investigator of the D.C. Department of Corrections Office of Investigative Services. Sentencing is set for August 11, 2025.
Pamela Porter, a co-defendant in the case, also pleaded guilty to bribery on April 17, 2025. Court records reveal that Baylor, employed at the Correctional Treatment Facility (CTF), collaborated with an inmate, referred to as Inmate-1, to smuggle contraband in exchange for financial compensation. Inmate-1 coordinated with outside associates, including Porter, who utilized CashApp to transfer funds to Baylor.
Baylor was entrusted with managing inmates and facilitating their communication needs, a role he allegedly exploited by hiding cigarettes and controlled substances to bypass security checks. Once inside, he provided these items to Inmate-1, who redistributed them among other inmates for profit. As part of the scheme, Porter reportedly transferred $1,200 to Baylor, contributing to a total of $6,245 received by Baylor between October 2023 and June 2024.
An incident on September 19, 2024, involved unauthorized communication that led Baylor to agree to smuggle Suboxone strips, a Schedule III narcotic, into CTF. Baylor was intercepted and arrested on September 23, 2024, during an attempted smuggling operation, after receiving cash and a carton believed to contain the narcotic.
Baylor’s actions violated the DOC’s Contraband Control policy, which strictly prohibits trafficking contraband of any kind into facilities and classifies such activities as criminal under federal law. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the D.C. Department of Corrections Office of Investigative Services, with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold.
