FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL OFFICER PLEADS GUILTY TO SEXUALLY ABUSING INMATE AND ACCEPTING BRIBES TO SMUGGLE DRUGS AND PHONES INTO PRISON

OCALA, Fla. — A former federal correctional officer has admitted sexually abusing an inmate under his authority and accepting money to smuggle fentanyl, methamphetamine, synthetic marijuana, cellphones, and other prohibited items into a federal prison.

Cornelius Alexander Thompson, 38, of Ocala, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse of a ward in federal custody and one count of receiving a bribe as a public official.

Thompson was employed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons as a correctional officer at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County. His position gave him custodial, supervisory, and disciplinary authority over federal inmates housed at the institution.

According to court records, Thompson engaged in a sexual act with a federal inmate under his authority between January 2020 and August 9, 2023.

The offense involves a serious breach of the power entrusted to correctional personnel. Thompson was responsible for maintaining custody, enforcing institutional rules, and protecting the people placed under federal control. He instead admitted engaging in prohibited sexual conduct with a person whose confinement and daily conditions were subject to the authority of prison employees.

Federal law treats sexual conduct between correctional personnel and people under their custodial authority as abuse because of the inherent imbalance of power within a detention facility. The offense concerns the misuse of official control over an incarcerated person, regardless of how the employee attempts to characterize the conduct.

Thompson also admitted accepting money to smuggle contraband into FCC Coleman for federal inmates between January 2020 and April 29, 2024.

The prohibited items included K2, fentanyl, phencyclidine commonly known as PCP, methamphetamine, ketamine, Suboxone, marijuana, cigarettes, and cellphones.

K2 is a term used for synthetic cannabinoid products that can produce unpredictable and severe physical or psychological effects. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid associated with fatal overdoses, while methamphetamine and PCP present additional risks of medical emergencies, violence, and institutional disruption.

Suboxone has accepted medical uses in the treatment of opioid dependence but becomes contraband when introduced into a correctional institution outside authorized medical channels.

Smuggled cellphones also create a separate security threat inside correctional facilities. Unauthorized devices can allow incarcerated individuals to communicate beyond monitored prison systems, coordinate prohibited activity, contact victims or witnesses, and direct criminal conduct outside the institution.

By accepting payment to move prohibited items into the prison, Thompson used the access attached to his public position to bypass security measures he was employed to uphold. The range of contraband identified in the case shows that the bribery conduct was not limited to a single prohibited product.

The criminal activity described in court records continued across several years. The sexual-abuse conduct occurred between January 2020 and August 2023, while the bribery and contraband-smuggling conduct continued until April 29, 2024.

Thompson faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison for sexual abuse of a ward and a separate maximum sentence of 15 years for receiving a bribe as a public official.

Those penalties represent the statutory maximum for each count and do not establish the sentence Thompson will receive. A federal judge will determine the final punishment after considering the applicable sentencing guidelines and other factors required by law.

A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

The indictment also provides notice that the United States will seek forfeiture of $24,550. Federal prosecutors contend that the money represents proceeds derived from the bribery offense. The requested forfeiture is separate from any term of imprisonment or other penalties imposed at sentencing.

U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced the guilty plea.

The U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General investigated the case with the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson is prosecuting the case.

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