Teresa Malone, 58, of Carthage, Mississippi, was hit with a 41-month federal prison sentence today for funneling kickbacks to former Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) Commissioner Christopher Epps. U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate handed down the sentence, which includes three years of supervised release and a $225,000 restitution order, slamming the scheme as a brazen betrayal of public trust.
Malone, wife of a former Mississippi state representative, pled guilty in October 2017 to charges of conspiracy and wire fraud tied to a pay-to-play consulting arrangement. She admitted to receiving $225,000 from an out-of-state MDOC contractor, funneled through a no-show consulting gig orchestrated by Epps. From October 2010 to July 2014, she paid Epps between $1,000 and $1,750 every month from her $5,000 monthly payments—cash for favors in the state’s prison system.
“Teresa Malone chose money over morals, as her criminal actions reflected selfishness, greed, and a lust for power, all the while harming our state and every Mississippian,” said U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst. “Public corruption is corrosive to our society and our very form of government.” Hurst vowed continued crackdowns on officials and associates profiting from backdoor deals.
Judge Wingate didn’t hold back during sentencing, condemning the depth of the betrayal. “This whole matter has rocked the state and the persons in charge of rehabilitating others have become villains of the same system,” he said. “Mrs. Malone received $225,000 for little or no work product and this is an extreme offense and there is a need for deterrence.”
The FBI led the investigation into the sprawling MDOC corruption network, which has ensnared multiple contractors, consultants, and high-ranking officials since its exposure. Epps, who pleaded guilty in 2015 to taking over $1 million in bribes, is serving a nearly 20-year sentence. Malone’s case underscores how family members of political figures exploited their proximity to power for profit.
Prosecution was handled by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca, Deputy Criminal Division Chief Patrick A. Lemon, and Financial Analyst Kim Mitchell. The case stands as one of the most damning examples of systemic rot in Mississippi’s correctional oversight—a reminder that corruption doesn’t stop at the cell block door.
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Key Facts
- State: Mississippi
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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