Conspirator Maggie Kay Comeaux Sentenced for Prison Bribery Scheme

Alexandria, La. – In a stark reminder of the perils of prison corruption, former correctional officer Maggie Kay Comeaux, 28, from Ball, Louisiana, has been sentenced to ten months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release for her pivotal role in a bribery scheme that aimed to smuggle cell phones into the U.S. Penitentiary in Pollock.

The grim tale of corruption unfolded as Paris Smith, 21, from Detroit, Michigan, and two federal inmates colluded with Comeaux, who accepted $400 in bribes to facilitate the illegal entry of a cell phone and charging cords into the facility. At least one phone was linked back to Smith’s name.

Smith, a daughter of an inmate, was handed down a lighter sentence: two years of probation, including mandatory community service hours, and a $500 fine for providing contraband to a prisoner. The hearings were presided over by United States District Judge Donald E. Walter.

Comeaux’s guilty plea, entered on November 24, 2014, revealed that the scheme was in operation from January 2013 until April 2013. During this period, she also accepted funds totaling thousands of dollars via GreenDot cards from the inmates to finance her participation in the conspiracy.

This investigation was spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Justice-Office of the Inspector General, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison D. Bushnell leading the prosecution.

As the sentences are meted out, the grim reality of prison corruption and the brazen nature of those willing to exploit the system continues to cast a shadow over the American penal system.