A Correctional officer working at a private prison in McRae has been charged with accepting bribes. According to the United States Department of Justice, Tiffany Fletcher, who worked at McRae Correctional Facility, a private prison operated by CoreCivic, under contract with the federal Bureau of Prisons, accepted five cash bribes from inmates totaling almost $4,400 from June to December of 2019  to [quote] “turn a blind eye to contraband being brought into the prison." [end quote].

The case is being investigated by the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General., and if found guilty of the crime, Fletcher could face a statutory penalty of up to 15 years in prison along with substantial financial penalties. The sentence would fall under federal law and there is no parole in the federal penal system.