2 former corrections officers indicted
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- United States Attorney Thomas Walker said Monday a federal grand jury in Raleigh has returned a four-count Indictment against two former correctional officers that worked at Polk Correctional Institution in Butner.
The Indictment charges Gregory Dustin Gouldman, 31 and Jason Dean, 29, each with one count of extortion under color of official right. Dean was also charged with one count of making a false statement to the FBI and one count of lying before a federal grand jury.
Prosecutors allege Gouldman was involved in a scheme with a number of prisoners to smuggle tobacco, marijuana, cellular telephones, and packages of batteries. The cell phones were used by the inmates to communicate with people outside of prison.
Dean is accused of extorting things of value from inmates.
"Corruption by correction officers undermines the criminal justice system and puts the general public at risk. We will always prosecute these kinds of cases to maintain the integrity of our system," said Walker in a statement.
Prosecutors say they began looking at how contraband was getting into prisons after 49-year-old inmate Kelvin Melton used a cell phone to orchestrate the kidnapping of the father of Wake County prosecutor Colleen Janssen from his Wake Forest home in April 2014.
He was beaten and driven to Atlanta. Days later, he was rescued by the FBI.
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Dean was not a corrections officer at the time of the kidnapping. Prosecutors said they have no evidence linking phones from Gouldman to Melton.
If convicted, the former corrections officers face up to 20 years in prison and fines of $250,000. Dean faces an additional 10 years and $500,000 on the additional charges.
Federal officials say they continue to investigate the Janssen kidnapping and more charges are possible.
