More Charges Against Former Corrections Officers, Others Indicted for Corruption at Detention Center

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that additional charges have been filed against two former corrections officers at the Jackson County Detention Center and three others indicted by a federal grand jury today related to conspiracies to smuggle contraband cell phones and other items to inmates.

Andre Lamonte Dickerson, 26, Carlos Laron Hughley, 32, Janikkia Lashay Carter, 36, and Marion Lorenzo Byers, also known as “Cuddy,” 35, all of Kansas City, Mo., and Jalee Caprice Fuller, 29, of Independence, Mo., were charged in two separate indictments returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictments replace a federal criminal complaint that was filed on June 21, 2017, and include additional charges and an additional defendant (Byers).

Dickerson and Fuller were corrections officers at the Jackson County Detention Center at the time of the alleged offenses. Hughley is an inmate at the detention center awaiting trial on charges of domestic assault, armed criminal action, resisting arrest and multiple counts of distributing controlled substances. Hughley is purportedly the father of Fuller’s recently born child. Carter and Byers are acquaintances of Fuller and Hughley.

Dickerson is charged in a four-count indictment; Hughley, Carter, Byers and Fuller are charged together in a separate 10-count indictment.

USA v. Dickerson

Today’s indictment alleges that Dickerson participated in a bribery and contraband smuggling conspiracy from May 2 to June 26, 2017, in violation of the Travel Act. Dickerson allegedly took money bribes to smuggle contraband to inmates at the Jackson County Detention Center. Dickerson allegedly made telephone calls and sent text messages to promote the conspiracy, and actually smuggled cell phones and other contraband to inmates at the detention center.

The indictment also alleges that Dickerson told an inmate in the detention center that he would ensure the inmate was the only inmate on the fifth floor to receive contraband cigarettes, narcotics, drugs and telephones if the inmate would pay Dickerson a monthly fee of $2,500.

The indictment cites an incident in which Dickerson allegedly took a $500 bribe to smuggle a cell phone, charger and cigarettes to an inmate at the detention center.

In addition to the conspiracy, Dickerson is charged with three counts of using a telephone in furtherance of the unlawful activity of acceding to corruption.

USA v. Fuller, et al

Today’s indictment alleges that Fuller, Carter, Hughley and Byers participated in a separate bribery and contraband smuggling conspiracy from May 2 to June 26, 2017, in violation of the Travel Act.

Fuller allegedly took money bribes to smuggle contraband to inmates at the Jackson County Detention Center. Fuller allegedly made telephone calls and sent text messages to promote the conspiracy, and actually smuggled cell phones and other contraband to inmates at the detention center.

The indictment cites an incident in which Fuller, assisted by Carter and Byers, smuggled a cell phone, charger and 15 Xanax pills to an inmate at the detention center. Hughley took possession of the 15 Xanax pills, the indictment says. According to the indictment, $300 was paid to smuggle the cell phone and charger to an inmate.

In addition to the conspiracy, each of the defendants is charged with using a telephone in furtherance of the unlawful activity of acceding to corruption. Fuller is charged with one count; Carter is charged with three counts; Hughley is charged with three counts; Byers is charged with two counts.

The Travel Act

The Travel Act makes it a crime to use a facility of interstate commerce (such as telephone calls) with the intent to further unlawful activity. The Travel Act’s definition of “unlawful activity” includes bribery in violation of the laws of a state. Missouri state law makes it a crime for a public servant to solicit or accept a bribe in return for violating a known legal duty. This crime is known under Missouri state law as acceding to corruption, and it is a companion or sister statute to the Missouri state statute that makes it a crime for someone to bribe a public servant. These two Missouri state statutes criminalize bribery conduct involving a public servant, both for the person paying the bribe and for the public servant taking the bribe.

The federal indictments charge each of the defendants with violating the Travel Act by using a facility of interstate commerce (a telephone) to facilitate the promotion of an unlawful activity, that is, acceding to corruption.

Larson cautioned that the charges contained in these indictments are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt.

These cases are being prosecuted by Deputy U.S. Attorney Gene Porter and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Venneman. They were investigated by the FBI and the Jackson County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department with assistance from the Missouri Department of Corrections, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Jackson County Detention Center.