JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A federal prison guard in Mississippi is accused of taking bribes to get forbidden items to an inmate.
Wesley Hughes, 28, of Greenwood, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Monday and was released on bond, online court records showed. The records did not show an attorney who could speak for him.
Hughes was a guard at the Yazoo City Federal Correction Center during the 11 months covered by the indictment, U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst said in a news release earlier Monday.
The federal court indictment handed up July 14 does not say how much money he is accused of taking or what “prohibited objects” he’s accused of passing to the inmate between April 1, 2018 and March 1, 2019.
Yazoo City is about 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of Jackson.
Bribery carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. The indictment states that prosecutors plan to ask for forfeiture of all proceeds if Hughes is convicted.
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