Officer Accepted $350 to Smuggle Cocaine to Inmate

ATLANTA, GA - AKIL SCOTT, 32, of Lithonia, Georgia, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr., to serve over one year in federal prison on charges of attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine and to accepting a bribe of $350 to facilitate the distribution of cocaine inside the Fulton County Jail.

United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said, “This detention officer chose to profit from the illegal drug trade instead of upholding his oath of office to protect and serve.  He took advantage of his uniform and badge to make money accepting a bribe to deliver cocaine to an inmate inside the jail.  This breach of public trust does immeasurable harm to our community and our many honest, hardworking law enforcement officers.”

Brian D. Lamkin, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta, stated: “Today’s sentencing of former Detention Officer Scott should serve as a reminder that the FBI is determined in its efforts to identify and remove those who would compromise the safety and integrity of the Fulton County Detention Facility by selling their badges.  The FBI encourages anyone with information on such activity to contact the Atlanta FBI Field Office at (404) 679-9000.”

Fulton County Sheriff Theodore “Ted” Jackson said, “The Fulton County Sheriff's Office continues to work with the FBI on a case matter that included Mr. Scott.  The Fulton County Sheriff's Office is very grateful to the United States Attorney's Office and the FBI for their hard work on corruption cases.”

 SCOTT was sentenced to 1 year, 2 months in prison to be followed by 2 years of supervised release.  SCOTT was convicted of these charges on November 29, 2011, upon his plea of guilty.

According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: On August 11, 2010, SCOTT, while employed as a detention officer at the Fulton County Jail, accepted $350 from an undercover agent to deliver seven grams of a substance he believed to be cocaine to a specific inmate inside the jail.  Immediately after leaving the undercover agent, SCOTT took the substance to the jail and delivered it to the inmate.

• On January 20, 2012, former Detention Officer Brian Shelby Anthony, 31, of Atlanta,  pleaded guilty to attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana and to extortion under color of official right for accepting bribes of more than $26,000 to facilitate the distribution of drugs inside the county jail and at other locations in the Atlanta metropolitan area.  On March 26, 2012, U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones sentenced Anthony to 10 years imprisonment and 4 years of supervised release.
• On November 8, 2011, former Deputy Sheriff Marvie Trevino Dingle, Jr., 35, of Lithonia, Georgia, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted possession with the intent to distribute cocaine inside and outside the county jail and two counts of extortion under color of official right for accepting more than $2,000 to smuggle drugs into the jail and to protect a drug transaction outside of the jail.  He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg on April 3, 2012.
• On October 24, 2011, former Detention Officer Derick Deshun Frazier, 32, of Stockbridge, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of extortion under color of official right for accepting $300 to smuggle mobile telephones into the county jail. On January 11, 2012, U.S. District Judge Orinda D. Evans sentenced Frazier to six months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release.

 These cases are being investigated by Special Agents of the FBI.

Assistant United States Attorney Brent Alan Gray is prosecuting the cases.  Today’s sentencing was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jill Steinberg.

 For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney's Public Information Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. 

The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.justice.gov/usao/gan.

 

 

 

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