Former Corrections Officer Found Guilty of Bribery for Taking Cash to Smuggle Contraband into D.C. Jail
Defendant Accepted $1,000 from Undercover Agent

WASHINGTON—Jeremiah Moorman, 30, a former corrections officer, has been found guilty by a jury of bribery and first-degree theft charges for accepting money under the promise of bringing contraband into a District of Columbia correctional facility, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen, Jr. and Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, announced today.

Moorman was found guilty on March 27, 2013, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Patricia A. Broderick scheduled sentencing for May 24, 2013.

According to the government’s evidence, Moorman was employed as a corrections officer for the District of Columbia Jail. Prior to October 12, 2011, he met with individuals inside the jail to discuss the possibility of smuggling contraband to an inmate inside the facility. On October 12, 2011, Moorman contacted a person by telephone outside the jail who he believed was an associate of an inmate; in fact, however, that person was an undercover FBI agent.

During the phone conversation, Moorman agreed to smuggle an RSA token to an inmate in exchange for $1,000. An RSA token is an authentication mechanism that allows a computer user to access secure computer databases, often bank accounts. On October 14, 2011, Moorman met the undercover agent in Northwest Washington. The agent handed the RSA token and $1,000 to Moorman during the meeting.

Moorman is among three corrections employees convicted of bribery charges in recent months. Daishawn Goodson, 26, a former employee of the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), pled guilty in December 2012 to a federal bribery charge and was sentenced March 22, 2013 to eight months of home detention. April Johnston, 42, a former corrections officer at the District of Columbia Jail, pled guilty earlier this month to a federal bribery charge. Both were arrested following undercover investigations by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Goodson and Johnston each accepted money to smuggle items into correctional facilities.

“Corrections officers play a critical role in maintaining order in our prison system. Instead of preventing contraband from entering the prison population, Jeremiah Moorman betrayed his oath of office by agreeing to smuggle contraband into prison in exchange for cash,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “His guilty verdict after trial marks the third conviction in the last three months of a corrections officer for bribery related charges and demonstrates this office’s commitment to rooting out corruption wherever it is found.”

“The smuggling of contraband into our jails endangers the integrity and safety of our corrections system,” said Assistant Director in Charge Parlave. “The FBI will continue to work to protect the system by thoroughly investigating all cases of bribery and corruption.”

In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Machen and Assistant Director in Charge Parlave commended the work of the agents who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Corrections Office of Investigative Services. Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Nicole Wattelet and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Waxman, who prosecuted the case.