Rashon Richardson, a former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for a narcotics offense and bribery of a corrections officer. The 31-year-old Richardson pleaded guilty to charges of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy, and bribery of a public official.
According to the United States Attorney’s office, Richardson was sentenced by United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon to a total of 144 months of imprisonment, including 120 months for the narcotics offense and an additional 24 months for the conspiracy and bribery offenses. Richardson will also serve 36 months of supervised release after his prison term.
Richardson admitted to possessing distribution-level quantities of crack cocaine, powder cocaine, and heroin on November 2, 2015. He also acknowledged that he unlawfully possessed a loaded 9mm Ruger pistol despite being prohibited from doing so due to prior felony convictions.
After being charged for the 2015 conduct, Richardson was detained and held at the Indiana County Jail. While at the jail, Richardson paid multiple bribes to Alex Lewis, a then-corrections officer, to smuggle contraband cellphones into the jail. Richardson used an intermediary to meet Lewis and pay bribes in the form of cash and a $400 payment to Lewis’s Cash App account.
The investigation into Richardson’s activities was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Indiana County Jail.
Assistant United States Attorneys Eric G. Olshan and Nicole Vasquez Schmitt prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government. Lewis, the corrections officer, was previously sentenced to 24 months in prison for conspiracy and bribery charges.
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Public Corruption|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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