PHILADELPHIA – A scheme to flood the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center (PICC) with illicit goods has landed three individuals in federal prison, United States Attorney David Metcalf announced today. The ring, operating between April and July 2021, involved a rogue correctional officer exploiting her position to deliver a dangerous cocktail of drugs, phones, and weapons to inmates for profit.
Breyanna Cornish, 30, of Philadelphia, a former Correctional Officer with the Philadelphia Department of Prisons (PDP), was sentenced this morning to two years in prison and three years of supervised release. Her accomplice, Jawayne Brown, 41, also of Philadelphia, received 15 months behind bars, a $2,500 fine, and three years of supervised release. The mastermind, Ahmad Nasir, aka Hussain Abdussamad, 44, of Philadelphia, already began serving a hefty 78-month sentence, plus three years of supervised release, earlier this month.
The trio was indicted in August 2024 and all three eventually pleaded guilty. Nasir admitted to one count each of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, federal program bribery, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute buprenorphine, and possession with intent to distribute buprenorphine. Brown pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, federal program bribery, and conspiracy to possess buprenorphine. Cornish’s guilty plea covered one count each of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery and federal program bribery.
Court filings detail a calculated operation. Nasir, while awaiting trial at PICC, directed Brown to procure contraband – including drugs like Suboxone and synthetic cannabinoids (K2), cellphones, chargers, cigarettes, and even makeshift weapons like hunting knives. Cornish, abusing her position as a C.O., then smuggled these items into the facility. Nasir would then sell the contraband to other inmates, generating a profit and instructing associates to pay Cornish and Brown for their roles in the scheme.
The scheme unraveled on July 10, 2021, when a search of Nasir’s cell revealed a hidden compartment packed with contraband: 19 cellphones, 20 chargers, two screwdrivers, three hunting knives, K2, tobacco, alprazolam pills, and over 110 packets of Suboxone. Searches of Nasir and his cellmate turned up additional cellphones. Crucially, text and WhatsApp messages recovered from Nasir’s phone showed direct communication between Cornish, Brown, and Nasir discussing specific items, delivery schedules, and payments, spanning from June 19, 2021, to July 6, 2021.
The investigation was spearheaded by the FBI, with crucial support from the Philadelphia Department of Prisons. Assistant United States Attorneys Meghan Claiborne and Ruth Mandelbaum prosecuted the case. Grimy Times notes that the release of this information was delayed due to the recent federal government shutdown lasting from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025. This case serves as a stark reminder of the ever-present threat of corruption within correctional facilities and the lengths to which individuals will go to profit from the vulnerabilities of the system.
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Public Corruption|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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