Shawn Brown, Bribery and Covid-Fraud, California 2022

San Diego, California - Benito Jamar Hugie, a corrections officer at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, was indicted by a federal grand jury for accepting thousands of dollars in cash bribes from an inmate to smuggle dental molds, jewelry and other contraband into the prison. The indictment said Hugie smuggled an expensive bejeweled grill for the inmate's mouth, valued at an unknown amount, into the facility in early October, 2020.

The indictment said Hugie delivered the grill to inmate Shawn Brown, who had custom ordered it from a jeweler in Houston, Texas, using a smuggled cell phone. Others charged in the bribery scheme include Brown's brothers, Daejohne Hatcher and Demetrius Warsinger, who are accused of facilitating more than $5,000 in bribes to Hugie. The bribe scheme is a serious violation of public trust and undermines the integrity of the prison system.

According to a second, unrelated indictment, during the investigation of Brown's alleged bribery scheme, agents learned that while in custody at the prison, Brown used his contraband cellular telephone to coordinate the theft of unemployment benefits intended for Californians who were unable to pay for food and housing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The indictment said Brown and his co-conspirators caused an estimated $1.4 million in fraudulent claims to be filed with the state Employment Development Department, resulting in actual cash payouts of more than $695,000 to Brown and his co-conspirators.

Others charged in the Covid-fraud scheme include Devante Jefferson, Raven Solomon, Homer Pitts, Kimari Goodman, Keako Jones, and Daejohne Hatcher, who allegedly worked together to use stolen victim identities to file fraudulent EDD claims to receive cash benefits meant for those who were in need, the indictment said.

Corrections officers are supposed to supervise inmates, not collaborate with them on crimes, said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. The FBI will not tolerate public corruption or theft of government funds on any level and we will continue to work with our state and federal partners to hold accountable those who use fraudulent schemes for personal gain.

Benito Jamar Hugie, 47, of San Diego, California, was indicted for accepting bribes in Case Number 22CR1238. Shawn Brown, 26, a CDCR inmate, and his brothers, were charged in the bribery scheme. In Case Number 22CR1239, Brown, 26, was charged along with six others for their alleged roles in the Covid-fraud scheme.

The case is a reminder that public officials, including corrections officers, must uphold the public trust and not engage in corrupt activities. The FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office will continue to work together to hold accountable those who abuse their positions for personal gain.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/corrections-officer-and-inmate-charged-bribery-scheme-same-inmate-charged-unrelated