Edwin Tollinchi-Rodriguez, a 40-year-old inmate at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County, has pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. Tollinchi-Rodriguez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and could receive up to life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been determined.
According to court documents, on September 5, 2024, a correctional officer with the Federal Bureau of Prisons performed a pat-down search on Tollinchi-Rodriguez and found a package containing a white coagulated substance. Laboratory analysis by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) confirmed the substance was methamphetamine hydrochloride, measuring approximately 236.6 grams and having a purity level of 99%.
Tollinchi-Rodriguez admitted to DEA agents that he had agreed to collect prohibited items from a prison shower for $500 and deliver them to another housing unit within the facility. He stated that among these items was the methamphetamine found during the search. He also explained that inside the prison, an amount of methamphetamine equivalent to what fits in a lip balm container can sell for $400.
The case is being investigated by both the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson is prosecuting.
