Rebecca C. Lutzko United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio
A former corrections officer from Cleveland has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for accepting a bribe to smuggle contraband into the Trumbull Correctional Institution (TCI) in Leavittsburg, Ohio. James P. Jackson, 40, received his sentence from U.S. District Judge Dan Aaron Polster on December 4, after pleading guilty in July to Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right.
Jackson worked at TCI between 2022 and 2024, first as a corrections officer and later as a general maintenance worker. His roles gave him access to restricted areas within the prison and regular contact with inmates. According to court documents, Jackson communicated with a female associate of an inmate at TCI. They arranged for her to provide him with packages intended for the inmate in exchange for an initial payment of $1,000 and the promise of another $1,000 upon successful delivery.
When Jackson attempted to bring the packages into TCI, law enforcement intercepted him. The investigation determined that the packages contained nearly 98 grams of methamphetamine mixture, over 207 grams of synthetic cannabinoid, almost 33 grams of phencyclidine (PCP), other drugs, a cellphone, and SIM cards.
The FBI Cleveland Division led the investigation along with support from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Trumbull Correctional Institutions-Office of Investigations, Ohio State Highway Patrol-Office of Criminal Investigations Prison Drug Unit, and Investigative Services for the Warren District.
Assistant United States Attorney Chelsea S. Rice prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.
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