Former Shelby County Division of Corrections Investigator Pleads Guilty to Accepting a Bribe as a Public Official

Memphis, TN – A Memphis man has pled guilty to accepting a bribe as a public official. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the guilty plea today.

Deon Scott, 41, pled guilty on November 17, 2025 before Chief United States District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman to accepting a bribe as a public official. According to information presented in court, Scott was working as an Internal Affairs Investigator for the Office of Professional Standards for the Shelby County Divisions of Corrections, which houses federal inmates, when he accepted money to provide contraband to an inmate.  Scott was immediately terminated from his position.

Sentencing is set on February 19, 2026. He faces up to 15 years in federal prison.

United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Official misconduct and corruption by correctional officers in positions of trust and authority undermine the foundational integrity of our government institutions and compromise the safety and security of correctional facilities. We must root out, expose, and hold accountable those officials who violate the public trust by corrupt acts of bribery, and this guilty plea does just that."

The case was investigated by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, United States Marshals Service, and the United States Secret Service.

Assistant United States Attorneys Lynn Crum and Greg Wagner and former Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Kimbril-Parks prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.

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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.