Asiah Young-Atwell, Racketeering, Pennsylvania 2026
Ex-Correctional Facility Nurse Pleads Guilty to Racketeering in Pennsylvania
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A shocking case of corruption at the Cambria County Prison has come to light, with a former nurse and a resident of Phoenix, Arizona, pleading guilty to violating federal racketeering laws.
Asiah Young-Atwell, 31, of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and Monique Valencia, 30, of Phoenix, each pleaded guilty to Count One of the Indictment during separate hearings before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines on June 16, 2026.
According to the guilty plea, Young-Atwell and Valencia conducted and participated in the affairs of an enterprise through racketeering activity from July 2023 to December 2023. Young-Atwell, while employed as a medical staff nurse at the Cambria County Prison, accepted bribes from inmates as an incentive to smuggle contraband - namely, cell phones and THC vape pens - into the prison. The contraband was then given to inmates, who sold the items to other inmates for a substantial profit.
Valencia acted as a facilitator in the racketeering activities by sending and receiving payments on behalf of the inmates for the smuggled contraband.
Young-Atwell and Valencia are among 10 residents of Pennsylvania and Arizona indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2025 for their alleged participation in the racketeer-influenced corruption organization (RICO) conspiracy. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both.
The investigation that led to the prosecution of the defendants was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Safe Streets Task Force, the Cambria County District Attorney's Office, and the Cambria County Prison.
Young-Atwell and Valencia are set to be sentenced on October 29, 2026.
The exact criminal charges against the defendants are Violating federal racketeering laws.
The city and state where the crime was committed are Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Organized Crime|Violent Crime|Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →