A former Bureau of Prisons prison guard has been sentenced to 18 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release for accepting a bribe from an inmate, officials said.
Heather Alissa Neff, 38, of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, pleaded guilty to Accepting a Bribe by a Public Official on August 31, 2023.
Between 2016 and June 2019, Neff worked as a corrections officer at the Federal Correctional Institution in Safford, Arizona, where she regularly interacted with inmates.
In early 2019, Neff entered into an inappropriate sexual relationship with an inmate incarcerated at FCI Safford. In exchange for the relationship, Neff received cash and provided the inmate with various benefits, including sexual contact, introduction of contraband, and assistance in circumventing security features.
According to court documents, Neff also accessed the BOP SENTRY system on behalf of the inmate and provided him with non-public information regarding other inmates. One of the inmates she provided information about was later assaulted.
The investigation was conducted by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, and the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson handled the prosecution.
Neff’s case number is CR-23-00204-SHR-BGM, and the release number is 2024-017_Neff.
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/.
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Key Facts
- State: Arizona
- Category: Public Corruption|Sex Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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