Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Bribery

March 22, 2010 - WASHINGTON—Correctional Officer Quincy Hayes pled guilty today to bribery of a public official in connection with a scheme to smuggle contraband into inmates in the Correctional Treatment Facility in exchange for cash, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Shawn Henry, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

Quincy Hayes, 32, of Alexandria, Virginia, admitted that on June 5, 2009, he accepted a $300 cash payment from an undercover FBI agent in exchange for agreeing to smuggle an iPod into an inmate in the Correctional Treatment Facility (CTF), which is operated by the Corrections Corporation of America under contract with the District of Columbia Department of Corrections. Hayes also admitted to having smuggled cigarettes into the CTF on another inmate on another occasion in exchange for a $100 bribe.

The maximum penalty for bribery of a public official is 15 years’ incarceration. The sentencing range for Hayes under the United States Sentencing Guidelines is 12 to 18 months in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for July 23, 2010 before Judge Emmet G. Sullivan.

“The criminal justice system and the residents of the District of Columbia place a significant measure of trust in Correctional Officers and rightly deserve, and should demand, ethical Correctional Officers,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “Whenever anyone violates the public trust and breaks the law, we will prosecute them vigorously.”

In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen and FBI Assistant Director in Charge Henry commended the outstanding investigative work of Special Agents Amanda Romek and Andrew Sekela. They also acknowledged the efforts of U.S. Attorney’s Office Paralegal Maggie McCabe, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Hibarger, who is prosecuting this case.