Private Prisoner Transport Employee Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights, Traveling Across State Lines to Engage in Unlawful Sexual Activity, and Firearms Offenses

PADUCAH, KY—Albert Preston Long, age 50, of Florence, Kentucky, pleaded guilty on September 14, 2010, to traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of engaging in any illicit sexual conduct with a female arrestee, deprivation of rights under color of law, felon in possession of a firearm, and use of that firearm in furtherance of a crime, United States Attorney David J. Hale announced today. Long entered the pleas before Chief United States District Judge Thomas B. Russell. Judge Russell scheduled Long’s sentencing hearing for January 11, 2011, at noon, in Paducah, Kentucky.

Long pleaded guilty pursuant to a written plea agreement filed in open court. According to that agreement, a magistrate court in Lincoln County, New Mexico, issued an arrest warrant for a female, M.M., to appear on outstanding charges. M.M. waived extradition under the interstate agreement on detainers on January 22, 2009. Consequently, an order was issued from the Lincoln County Sheriff on January 23, 2009, to Court Services Incorporated “CSI” (a private prisoner extradition company) to transport M.M. from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to New Mexico to resolve the pending charges. Legally, extradition is a public function conducted under the authority of the state. That public function can be carried out by a private company if the company has a contract with the governmental unit or agency.

Acting under the contract with the Lincoln County Sheriff, the CSI president contacted Albert Preston Long, a company employee, to perform the extradition transportation of M.M. and other prisoners. Long, as an employee of CSI, was endowed and vested with the authority of the state of New Mexico through its contract with CSI to extradite M.M..

On January 23, 2009, Long picked up M.M. along with three male prisoners and transported them from Tennessee to Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Long wore a handgun, specifically, a HiPoint 9mm Luger Model C-9, Serial Number P1337275, on his hip and visible to the prisoners during the transport.

Upon arrival in Hopkinsville, Long placed the three male prisoners in the custody of the Christian County Jail. However, Long instructed M.M. to remain in the transport vehicle and told the male prisoners that the jail could not house her. Long took M.M. to the Kings Court Motel in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Prior to arriving at the motel, Long purchased two pints and one fifth of Black Velvet whiskey. In the motel room, Long provided alcohol and Vicodin (a controlled substance) to M.M.. Long caused M.M. to engage in a sexual act by threatening or placing her in fear.

On Saturday, January 24, 2009, Long checked the female into the Christian County Jail at 2:00 p.m.. On Monday morning, January 26, 2009, Long checked the female out of the jail and took her back to the Kings Court Motel. Long then picked up the other inmates at the Christian County Jail and traveled to Paducah, Kentucky. On January 26, 2009, Long again dropped off the male inmates at the McCracken County Jail. He took the female to the DeLuxe Inn. That night, Long caused M.M. to engage in a sexual act by threatening or placing her in fear.

On Tuesday, January 27, 2009, a second Court Services, Inc., employee joined Long and assisted with the drive to Ft. Smith, Arkansas. Upon arrival at the Sebastian County Detention Center in Arkansas, Long dropped off the male prisoners and told M.M. to stay in the van because he again, intended to take her to a local motel. A Sebastian County Detention officer asked why the female was on the manifest log but not checked in at the jail and refused to accept any prisoners unless all were accounted for. M.M. was removed from the van and interviewed.

Long is a convicted felon. He has two prior felony convictions. On May 27, 1982, Long was convicted of Complicity to Robbery, a felony, under Ohio Revised Code (O.R.C.) § 2923.03, by the State of Ohio, Hamilton County, Court of Common Pleas, No. B821624. On December 20, 2000, Long was convicted of Have[ing] Weapon W/Under Disability, a felony, under O.R.C. § 2923.13(A)(2), by the State of Ohio, Hamilton County, Court of Common Pleas, No. B0008071. The HiPoint 9mm Luger Model C-9, Serial Number P1337275 was not manufactured in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Moreover, Long transported the HiPoint 9mm Luger in interstate commerce when he traveled from Tennessee into Kentucky.

As a result of his guilty plea, Long faces maximum potential penalties of life imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, and supervised release for a period of at least five years and could be any number of years, up to and including life. He faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years.

Assistant United States Attorney Joshua D. Judd and Jo E. Lawless are prosecuting the case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation in both Kentucky and Arkansas conducted the investigation.