An employee of the federal prison in Danbury has pleaded guilty to taking part in a scheme to collect bribes, including shoes or designer bags, from inmates in exchange for recommendations that they be released early to halfway houses.
Kisha Perkins, 43, of Waterbury, worked as a case manager at FCI Danbury and was arrested after an undercover investigation, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.
Authorities launched an undercover investigation after receiving information about an alleged scheme to solicit cash bribes from inmates in exchange for a recommendation that inmates be released early to “halfway houses.”
In February 2014, Perkins agreed to accept a pair of shoes or a Louis Vuitton pocketbook in exchange for counseling a prison employee about the bribe scheme and never reported the bribery scheme to prison officials. The other employee was actually working undercover, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's office.
“There is no tolerance for corrupt employees within the ranks of the Bureau of Prisons,” U.S. Attorney Deirdre Daly said in a statement. “Prison officials, like this defendant, will be held accountable in federal court. I commend the FBI and the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General for their diligence in uncovering this corrosive bribery scheme. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our investigative partners are committed to rooting out corruption at all levels of government.”
Perkins was arrested on March 14, 2014, pleaded guilty to one count of acceptance of a bribe by a public official and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 21.
