JACKSON, MS—Andra Smith, 44, of Canton, has been charged by Criminal Information with bribery, announced U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis and FBI Special Agent in Charge Donald Alway. Smith is a former Probation and Parole Officer with the Mississippi Department of Corrections working out of Madison County.

Smith is charged with soliciting bribes from a parolee he was supervising from March, 2015 through June, 2015. Smith took the money in exchange for allowing the parolee to leave Mississippi to find employment.

“Whenever public officials break the law, particularly those persons sworn to serve and protect the public, we must do everything we can to hold them accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis. “This office will aggressively pursue allegations of corruption and vigorously prosecute such cases.”

“These cases are particularly troubling because each one we investigate erodes the very public trust we are all sworn to uphold”, said Donald Alway, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Mississippi. “Using the authority of the badge for personal gain betrays the vast majority of us who protect and serve with honor.”

Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner Marshall Fisher stated: “We referred this case to the FBI, based on allegations. We have zero tolerance for corruption in any form by anyone within the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Such conduct is a disservice to the hardworking employees of the agency and the taxpayers of the state of Mississippi. This should serve as a clear message to everyone that MDOC is committed to performing our mission, and we value the services and support of our honest employees.”

Smith is scheduled to make his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge F. Keith Ball on October 16th at 1:00 p.m. He will then appear for a hearing before Senior United States District Judge Tom S. Lee at 1:30 p.m. on the same day.

The maximum penalty for bribery is 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Criminal Investigation Division of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Scott Gilbert and Mary Helen Wall.