JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The Latest on criminal charges in a prison bribery scheme centering of former Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps (all times local):
4 p.m.
The wife of a former Mississippi state lawmaker has been indicted for paying kickbacks to then-corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps in exchange for a consulting contract.
The indictment against 54-year-old Teresa Malone of Carthage was unsealed Monday. She’s the wife of former Democratic lawmaker Bennett Malone, who once served as chairman of the House Corrections Committee.
The two-count indictment charges Malone with getting $5,000 a month from Illinois-based AdminPros, and passing $1,000 to $1,750 a month back to Epps. That company was monitoring prison health care.
Malone faces up to 30 years in prison and a fine of $500,000. She’s scheduled to appear Aug. 3 before a federal magistrate.
The Associated Press was unable to reach Malone for comment last week. No lawyer is listed for her in electronic court records.
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1:40 p.m.
Prosecutors have filed a criminal charge of conspiracy to pay bribes against the CEO of a company that sold drug screening cups to Mississippi’s prison system.
Mark Longoria, the 53-year-old CEO of Drug Testing Corp., was charged Monday in federal court in Jackson.
The charge alleges Longoria, of Houston, sent nearly $230,000 to Brandon businessman Cecil McCrory with the intention of McCrory bribing then-Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps.
It’s the latest in a series of charges against people in a wide-ranging bribery scheme that centered on Epps. He and McCrory have already pleaded guilty.
Longoria is scheduled to appear Tuesday before a federal magistrate. Prosecutors often file charges, instead of indictments, against people who agree to plead guilty.
Longoria faces up to 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
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