Former corrections officer traded tobacco for cash

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ)- A former corrections officer at the Federal Medical Center in Lexington admits to smuggling tobacco into prison and taking money from an inmate.

According to U.S. District Court, 46-year-old William C. McClelland pleaded guilty to a bribery charge. A press release from the Department of Justice says twice in 2015, McClelland smuggled tobacco into the prison for an inmate and got $1,800.00 in return.

The department says prisoners locked up in federal correctional facilities like FMC Lexington aren’t allowed to possess contraband. Tobacco falls under that category.

Sentencing for McClelland is scheduled for July, 2016. The bribery offense is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, according to the department.