Prison Guard Pleads Guilty to Bribery in Smuggling
A prison guard pleaded guilty Monday to bribery and other federal charges stemming from a scheme to smuggle whiskey and 14 grams of cocaine to an inmate at the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles.
In addition to his plea to two counts of bribery by a public official, Willie Simmons, 30, of Inglewood pleaded guilty to two counts of providing contraband in a prison and one count of distributing cocaine, U.S. Atty. Lourdes Baird said.
Defense attorney David Reed also said that Simmons, who had worked as a guard for two years, is hoping for a lighter sentence by admitting his wrongdoing before U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson. Simmons faces a maximum sentence of 55 years in prison and a $750,000 fine. A five-count indictment alleged that Simmons agreed April 18 to call an inmate’s friend and arrange to pick up and deliver whiskey and 14 grams of cocaine in exchange for $1,000.
Simmons was arrested by FBI agents when he entered the prison to deliver the contraband.
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