Federal prisoner pleads guilty to conspiring to obtain methamphetamine in prison

ATLANTA - William Prater, who conspired with his fiancé, Genia Letson to obtain methamphetamine at the U.S. Penitentiary-Atlanta (“USP”), pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute more than five grams of methamphetamine.  Prater coordinated with his fiancé using a contraband cellphone and arranged for her to bring him methamphetamine at USP-Atlanta.  

“Prater’s audacious attempt to obtain drugs in a federal prison demonstrates his continued lack of respect for the law,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak.  “Additionally, his use of a contraband cell phone as part of his crime once again highlights the danger these devices present in a prison environment.”

“Instead of using his time in prison to rehabilitate, Prater chose to continue similar criminal acts that led to his incarceration,” said Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, Chris Hacker. “His bold defiance of the law put prisoners and prison staff in danger and he will now be held accountable for his actions.”

According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: Prater was incarcerated at USP-Atlanta for violating the terms of his supervised release following his 2010 conviction for manufacturing methamphetamine.  While an inmate at USP-Atlanta, Prater used a contraband cellular telephone to obtain methamphetamine.  He recruited his fiancée, Genia Letson, to serve as a courier, and she agreed to travel to Atlanta to obtain the drugs. On November 4, 2018, Letson met with Prater in the visitation room in USP-Atlanta and passed him the methamphetamine she had smuggled inside the prison. Guards witnessed Letson hand Prater the methamphetamine, intervened, and seized the drugs.  

Sentencing for William Prater, 35, of Cleveland, Tennessee, has not yet been scheduled.  In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.  Genia Letson, 47, also of Cleveland, Tennessee, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute more than five grams of methamphetamine on July 29, 2019.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin A. Leipold, III is prosecuting the case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.