A.G. Gancarski
A federal corrections officer is poised to end up on the other side of the bars if convicted of accepting cash to bring contraband to a convict.
Michael Jason Brooks, a 37-year-old from Citra, is accused of taking money to bring tobacco to a prisoner.
The transport of the banned tobacco could earn him a six month stretch, while the bribery charge could merit a 15-year sentence.
“According to court documents, on June 12, 2024, Brooks was employed by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons as a correctional officer at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County. Brooks knowingly agreed to receive and accept money in return for being influenced to introduce contraband into the federal prison for an inmate,” the Department of Justice alleges.
“On June 12, 2024, Brooks provided contraband in the form of tobacco to an inmate at the prison.”
Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson is prosecuting the case based on an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice-Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
