James P. Cheatham III, Accepting Bribes, Mississippi 2017

A federal corrections officer in Mississippi has admitted to accepting bribes to introduce contraband into the federal correctional facility in Yazoo County.

James P. Cheatham III, 24, of Brandon, Mississippi, pleaded guilty on June 1, 2017, to accepting bribes to introduce contraband into the facility.

Cheatham, a former corrections officer, was charged in a one-count federal indictment with being a public official providing a prohibited object to an inmate.

The case was investigated by the Department of Justice-Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Chalk.

Cheatham is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III on September 5, 2017, at 9:00am. He faces a maximum term of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Greed and corruption have no place in our criminal justice system, said Special Agent in Charge Robert Bourbon of the DOJ OIG’s Miami Field Office. We want to thank our law enforcement partners for their continued efforts to ensure that individuals who abuse their position are vigorously investigated, prosecuted, and punished.

Cheatham’s guilty plea is a serious blow to the integrity of the corrections system. As a corrections officer, he had a responsibility to uphold the law and protect the public, not to compromise it for personal gain.

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