Feds accuse prison guards of taking bribes, drug trafficking

Five of the guards being charged were members of the Department of Corrections’ tactical team, which works to rid prisons of contraband and control riots.

Former guards at Buford’s Phillips State Prison were among more than 45 Georgia Department of Corrections officers named Thursday afternoon in a statewide jailhouse corruption case involving bribery and drug trafficking.

The release states a two-year joint operation resulted in the arrests and the exposure of staff corruption inside the eight prisons and one private prison.

A majority of those charged were Georgia Department of Corrections officers accused of agreeing to protect a person they believed was a high-level drug trafficker. But agents learned the problems went beyond one prison, Horn said.

Inmates then revealed names of corrections officers accused of bringing in contraband, including liquor, phones and drugs.

According to the indictments, the guards allegedly smuggled in multiple kilograms of methamphetamine and cocaine in exchange for thousands of dollars in bribes.

All 49 suspects in the latest indictments were arrested Thursday and later made their first court appearances in front of a federal magistrate judge, Horn said.

Officials say both prisoners were rushed to South Georgia Medical Center.

Indictments were handed down for 16 current GDC officers, 23 former GDC officers, four current and three former GEO officers, one inmate and two civilians.

Numerous contraband cell phones were used by inmates to commit wire fraud, money laundering, identity theft and drug trafficking.

During the undercover deals, the correctional officers generally wore their uniforms or badges in an effort to avoid law enforcement scrutiny.