TAMPA, Fla. — A former corrections officer at the Citrus County Detention Facility has pleaded guilty to accepting a bribe in exchange for smuggling a cellphone into the jail, according to federal prosecutors.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida said Dekarri Nixon, 28, of Jasper, pleaded guilty to accepting a bribe as a public official.
Prosecutors said Nixon accepted $4,000 in exchange for bringing a cellphone into the detention facility while working as a corrections officer.
According to court documents, the Citrus County Detention Facility houses federal detainees awaiting trial and sentencing. Nixon was responsible for supervising federal inmates on behalf of the United States, prosecutors said.
Federal officials said smuggling contraband, including cellphones, into detention facilities creates security risks for people both inside and outside the jail.
Nixon faces up to 15 years in federal prison. Prosecutors are also seeking forfeiture of the $4,000 allegedly obtained through the bribe.
A sentencing date has not been set.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office.
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