Former Corrections Officer at Lexington Federal Prison Pleads Guilty to Bribery

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A former corrections officer at the Federal Medical Center in Lexington (FMC Lexington) has admitted to smuggling tobacco into the prison, in exchange for payments from an inmate.

On Wednesday, William C. McClelland, 46, pleaded guilty to a bribery charge, before U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell.

According to his plea agreement, on two occasions during 2015, McClelland smuggled tobacco into the prison for an inmate; he received $1,800 in return.

Prisoners incarcerated in federal correctional facilities, including FMC Lexington, are prohibited from possessing contraband, such as tobacco.

Kerry B. Harvey, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; John F. Oleskowicz, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, Chicago Field Office; and Howard S. Marshall, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, jointly made the announcement.

The investigation was conducted by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Andy Smith prosecuted this case on behalf of the federal government.

McClelland is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28, 2016.  The bribery offense carries a maximum punishment of 15 years in prison.  Any sentence imposed by the Court, however, will come after the Court has considered the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal statutes.