BOP Employee’s Greed Lands Him 2 Years Behind Bars

BOSTON – In a shocking display of corruption, a former Correctional Counselor for the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has been sentenced to two years in prison for accepting bribes from an inmate under his care. William S. Tidwell, 50, of Keene, N.H., was handed down the sentence by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Tidwell was also ordered to forfeit $90,058 and pay a $10,000 fine.

Tidwell pleaded guilty in September 2023 to receiving payments as a public official in violation of his official duties, making false statements to a bank, and committing identity theft to support the false statements. The corruption was uncovered after an investigation revealed that Tidwell had accepted thousands of dollars from an inmate under his care, as well as lied to a bank about a loan he received from the inmate’s business associate.

“William Tidwell ignored federal ethics and conflicts of interest laws, and his greed led him to abuse his position of authority,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “His corruption goes against BOP’s core mission of assisting offenders to become law-abiding citizens. Tidwell’s repeated violations showed his complete disregard for his profession, the dedicated professionals at BOP, and those he was entrusted to protect and guide.”

According to officials, Tidwell began accepting bribes from the inmate in approximately 2018, and continued to do so until his arrest. The inmate, who was not named, was a high-net-worth individual who had been convicted of federal charges in another jurisdiction. Tidwell’s conduct was a clear breach of BOP’s rules and regulations, which prohibit employees from receiving any payments, gifts, or personal favors from inmates.

Tidwell had been employed by the BOP since 2000 and had been working at Federal Medical Center Devens (FMC Devens) since 2008. He was removed from federal service in October 2023 after pleading guilty in this case. The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General.

The sentence is a clear message that corruption will not be tolerated in the BOP. “Tidwell developed a personal relationship with an inmate, accepted payments from the inmate, and lied to a bank about a loan he received from the inmate’s business associate,” said Ryan T. Geach, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Northeast Region. “Tidwell’s conduct was a far cry from the integrity that we expect from federal Correctional Officers.”