A federal correctional officer has pleaded guilty to charges of bribery and providing contraband to an inmate at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County, Florida. Micheal Jason Brooks, 37, of Citra, admitted to one count of receipt of a bribe by a public official and one count of providing contraband to a federal prisoner.
United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced the plea. Brooks could face up to 15 years in federal prison for the bribery charge and up to six months’ imprisonment for the contraband offense. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
According to court records, on June 12, 2024, Brooks was employed as a correctional officer with the United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons. He knowingly and corruptly sought and agreed to receive $3,000 in exchange for smuggling 177.1 grams of loose tobacco into the prison for an inmate. Tobacco is considered contraband in federal prisons and inmates are prohibited from possessing it. Brooks delivered the tobacco on June 12.
The case was investigated by the United States Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson is prosecuting.
