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Breyanna Cornish, Contraband Smuggling, Pennsylvania 2021
In a shocking case of corruption within the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center (PICC), a former correctional officer and two co-conspirators have pleaded guilty to smuggling contraband into the prison facility. Breyanna Cornish, 30, Jawayne Brown, 40, and Ahmad Nasir, aka Hussain Abdussamad, 44, all of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered pleas of guilty before United States District Court Judge Gerald J. Pappert this week.
The scheme, which took place from April through July of 2021, involved smuggling contraband, including drugs, phones, chargers, cigarettes, and knives, into the PICC. Cornish, who was a correctional officer at the time, worked with Nasir, who was detained pre-trial at PICC, and Brown, who was not incarcerated, to purchase and assemble the contraband. Cornish then smuggled the contraband into the prison, where Nasir sold it to other inmates for a profit.
On July 10, 2021, the Philadelphia Department of Prisons conducted a search of Nasir’s cell, where they recovered 19 cellphones, 20 cellphone chargers, and other contraband items. Text messages and WhatsApp messages extracted from Nasir’s phone revealed that Cornish, Nasir, and Brown discussed the contraband items to be acquired, the delivery of contraband packages, and payments for the items and to co-conspirators.
Cornish pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery and one count of federal program bribery. Brown pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, one count of federal program bribery, and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of buprenorphine. Nasir pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, one count of federal program bribery, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of buprenorphine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of buprenorphine.
The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced in August. Cornish faces a maximum possible term of 15 years’ imprisonment, Brown a maximum possible term of 25 years’ imprisonment, and Nasir a maximum possible term of 35 years’ imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the FBI, with significant assistance from the Philadelphia Department of Prisons, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Meghan Claiborne and Ruth Mandelbaum.
This case highlights the corruption and exploitation that can occur within our prison system. The guilty pleas of Cornish, Brown, and Nasir bring an end to this scheme, but it’s a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle to maintain order and integrity within our correctional facilities.
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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