09/04/2024
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๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ฆ ๐ง๐ข ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ง๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ฆ
Tuesday, August 27, 2024
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Texas
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas โ A 26-year-old Three Rivers man has entered a guilty plea to
bribery of a public official, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Justin Matthew Gonzalez was a former corrections officer with the federal Bureau of
Prisons at the Three Rivers Correctional Institution.
As part of his plea, he admitted to receiving approximately $1,600 in what he described
as โbribeโ payments in return for smuggling ci******es into the facility. When he
reported to work on or about Feb. 11, 2021, authorities searched his bag and discovered
16 packets of ci******es.
โPublic service is a public trust, especially for those in positions in
corrections and law enforcement,โ said Hamdani. โThe vast
majority of these officers serve with honesty and integrity. However,
we must still root out any and all forms of corruption or abuse in
our federal prisons and hold accountable those who choose to break
the law themselves.โ
โGonzalezโs selfish acts compromised the safety and security of the federal prison. The
Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG) is committed to
rooting out bribery schemes and bringing perpetrators to justice,โ said Special Agent in
Charge Cloey C. Pierce, DOJ-OIG, South Central Region.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales will impose sentencing Nov. 20. At that time,
Gonzalez faces up to 15 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Gonzalez was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The Department of Justice - Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa Collins and Carolyn Ferko are prosecuting the case.
