United States Attorney David Metcalf has announced that three individuals from Philadelphia have pleaded guilty to charges related to smuggling contraband into the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center (PICC). Breyanna Cornish, aged 30, along with Jawayne Brown, 40, and Ahmad Nasir, also known as Hussain Abdussamad, 44, entered their guilty pleas before United States District Court Judge Gerald J. Pappert this week.
The charges stem from a scheme that took place between April and July 2021. The defendants were indicted last August, and the charges include conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, federal program bribery, and conspiracy to possess and distribute buprenorphine, among other offenses.
Nasir pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, one count of federal program bribery, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute buprenorphine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute buprenorphine. Brown admitted guilt to similar charges, while Cornish pleaded guilty to conspiracy and federal program bribery charges.
According to court documents, Nasir, who was detained pre-trial at the time, collaborated with Brown, who was not incarcerated, and Cornish, then a correctional officer at PICC, alongside others to covertly introduce contraband into the facility. Cornish reportedly smuggled in items such as drugs, cell phones, and weapons, which Nasir then distributed to inmates for profit. Payments were made to Cornish for smuggling activities and to Brown for acquiring and preparing the contraband packages.
A search conducted by the Philadelphia Department of Prisons on July 10, 2021, revealed a cache of contraband in Nasir's cell. Items found included 19 cellphones, 20 chargers, hunting knives, synthetic cannabinoids, and over 100 packets of Suboxone, among other things. Further investigations uncovered text and WhatsApp communications detailing the contraband transactions and payments between the conspirators.
All three defendants are scheduled for sentencing in August. Cornish could face up to 15 years in prison, Brown up to 25 years, and Nasir potentially 35 years behind bars. The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Philadelphia Department of Prisons and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Meghan Claiborne and Ruth Mandelbaum.
