Michelle Nicole Marie Brannon, a 36-year-old resident of Lake County, has pleaded guilty to charges related to making false statements and smuggling drugs into a federal prison. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
Brannon admitted guilt to one count of making a materially false statement or representation to a federal agency and one count of providing contraband to a federal prisoner. Each offense carries a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. A date for sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
Court records indicate that on April 27, 2025, Brannon visited her brother at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex located in Sumter County. During the screening process before visitation, she falsely told a correctional officer that she did not possess any narcotics. She was later found giving her brother buprenorphine, which is classified as a Schedule III controlled substance and is prohibited within federal prisons.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Prisons are investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson is prosecuting.
"United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Michelle Nicole Marie Brannon (36, Lake County) has pleaded guilty to one count of making a materially false statement or representation to a federal agency and one count of providing contraband to a federal prisoner. She faces a maximum of five years in federal prison on each of the offenses. A sentencing date has not yet been set."
