OCALA, FL—United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the arrest of Rashan L. Gibson (28, Clermont) on a criminal complaint charging him with four counts of making false statements to federal investigators. He faces up to five years in federal prison for each offense. Gibson was released on a $25,000 bond pending resolution of the matter.

According to court documents, federal investigators were contacted by an inmate at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County who claimed that Gibson, a federal corrections officer, had smuggled cigarettes into the facility in exchange for a $500 bribe. Investigators subsequently monitored an audio and video-recorded meeting between Gibson and the inmate in May 2015. During that meeting, Gibson and the inmate discussed the previous transaction, as well as a future $5,000 payment for other contraband that Gibson would smuggle into the prison. The inmate also provided Gibson with the name of a contact who could deliver the payment to him.

On August 6, 2015, investigators confronted Gibson about the smuggling operation. During the meeting, Gibson denied smuggling contraband into the prison. He also claimed that that he had never met with the inmate, had never discussed a bribery payment, and had never received the name of a person who would pay him money on the inmate’s behalf. Based upon the evidence obtained during the investigation, all of these statements were false.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case is being investigated by the Department of Justice—Office of the Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.