ALBANY, NEW YORK – In a shocking turn of events, Federal Bureau of Prisons Corrections Officer Carlos Ochoa, age 33, of Puerto Rico, has been sentenced to a total of 120 months in prison for his involvement in a string of crimes.
The sentence was handed down by Senior United States District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr. in two separate cases. The first case, which originated in the District of Puerto Rico before being transferred to the Northern District of New York, saw Ochoa plead guilty to working with an individual in Puerto Rico in 2017 to provide an armed escort for a shipment of multiple kilograms of cocaine in exchange for $5,000. At the time, he was working as a Federal Corrections Officer in Puerto Rico.
Ochoa also admitted to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, for which he was charged with attempting to aid and abet possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. The case was investigated by the Miami Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).
In the second case, charged in the Northern District of New York, Ochoa pled guilty to accepting a $600 cash bribe in October 2012, in exchange for smuggling an iPhone to an inmate while he was employed at Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Ray Brook, New York. He was charged with bribery by a public official.
Ochoa was ordered to forfeit $17,840 and a black 2015 Cadillac Escalade, in addition to serving 120 months in prison. He will also be subject to a 4-year term of supervised release, to begin after he is released from prison.
The cases were investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, and the ATF. The cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas Collyer and Katherine Kopita of the Northern District of New York, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Erbe of the District of Puerto Rico.
The sentencing marks a significant blow to public trust in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and raises questions about the adequacy of background checks and vetting processes for corrections officers.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York has announced that Ochoa will be serving his sentence in a federal prison. The exact location of the prison has not been disclosed, but sources close to the investigation confirm that Ochoa will be serving his time in a maximum-security facility.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Public Corruption|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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