Prison Nurse Charged with Smuggling Drugs to Inmates

A nurse working for a federal prison has made his first appearance in federal court to face charges that he accepted bribes in exchange for smuggling contraband, including illegal drugs, into the Federal Detention Center in Miami (FDC-Miami) and delivering it to inmates. The licensed registered nurse has worked for the Federal Bureau of Prisons at FDC-Miami since February 2020.

According to the criminal complaint unsealed on October 20, 2022, from November 2021 to August 2002, the nurse smuggled drug-laced legal documents and other prohibited items to inmates at FDC-Miami in exchange for thousands of dollars in bribes and other things of value. It is alleged that the documents that the nurse delivered to inmates were sheets of paper that had been soaked in liquids containing illegal drugs, then dried. The inmates who received the laced paper from the nurse then resold it to other inmates at FDC-Miami, says the complaint.

It is alleged that in addition to money, the nurse accepted other bribes, such as the free use of a Lamborghini and a Rolls-Royce.

The criminal complaint charges the nurse with bribery, providing contraband in prison, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. His bond hearing is set for October 21 at 10:00 a.m. in federal duty magistrate court in Miami. If convicted, the nurse faces up to 45 years in prison.