A former correctional officer has been sentenced to three years and five months in federal prison for attempting to smuggle drugs into a Florida prison.
Troy Alexander Cole (28, Fort Myers) was sentenced on April 20, 2022 by U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell for attempted possession with the intent to distribute MDMA (commonly referred to as “Molly”) and methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Cole worked as a correctional officer at the Charlotte Correctional Institution (CCI) in Punta Gorda. In June 2021, on three separate occasions, Cole agreed to smuggle methamphetamine or MDMA into the prison where he worked and provide the contraband to an inmate.
He agreed to do so in exchange for payments of $400, $1,000, and $4,000, respectively. On each occasion, Cole picked up a package containing what he believed were the controlled substances and then entered CCI.
Cole would then conceal the packages containing the purported controlled substances and notify the inmate that they were available for retrieval. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.
Cole’s actions demonstrate a grave betrayal of the public trust and a serious threat to the safety and security of our nation’s correctional facilities. As a correctional officer, Cole was entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining order and enforcing the law, but instead, he chose to engage in a reprehensible scheme to smuggle drugs into the very prison where he worked.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office have demonstrated their commitment to holding accountable those who would seek to undermine the integrity of our correctional system.
This case is a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance and cooperation in preventing and detecting corruption within our nation’s correctional facilities.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime|Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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