Federal Correctional Officer and Federal Inmate Indicted for Bribery and Smuggling Contraband
| U.S. Attorney’s Office June 23, 2011 |
A correctional officer employed at FCI Greenville and an inmate were indicted on June 23, 2011, for offenses related to a bribery scheme to smuggle contraband, including tobacco, into the prison, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.
Druex M. Perkins, age 26, has been employed at FCI Greenville since October 13, 2009. He is charged with one count of bribery by a federal official, two counts of honest services wire fraud, and two counts of making false statements to the FBI. The bribery charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. The honest services fraud charges are punishable by up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. The crime of making false statements carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years’ supervised release.
The first false statement charge alleges that Perkins lied to an FBI agent when he was interviewed inside FCI Greenville. The charge alleges that Perkins falsely denied that he had brought cigarettes into the prison, when the cigarettes were in a plastic baggie hidden in Perkins’ crotch area during the interview. The second false statement charge alleges that the FBI was investigating a meeting where Perkins accepted a bribe. Perkins claimed that he went directly home after the meeting where he admittedly received cigarettes but he denied receiving any other items. In truth, Perkins actually received a $2,000 cash payment during the meeting, which he took directly to the Argosy Casino, located in Alton, Illinois; and he proceeded to gamble, and lose, all of the bribery money that he was paid.
Khalat J. Alama, age 26, is a federal prisoner serving a 188-month sentence for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine who faces additional prison time as a result of this indictment. Alama is charged with conspiracy to bribe a federal official and bribery of a federal official. The conspiracy count is punishable by five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. The bribery charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Metro East Public Corruption Task force and agents of the FCI Greenville Special Investigations Office, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, Illinois State Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, that charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.