NORTH CAROLINA
A North Carolina man pleaded guilty Wednesday to a bribery and smuggling scheme in which he abused his position as a prison official to funnel drugs and other contraband into Caledonia Correctional Institution, officials stated.
According to court documents, Ollie Rose III, 62, of Pleasant Hill, worked as a case manager at Caledonia Correctional Institution, a state prison in Halifax County.
Rose admitted to agreeing to use his position, from at least November 2018 through October 2020, to smuggle contraband — including oxycodone, marijuana and synthetic cannabinoids — into the prison for inmates.
Rose further admitted that he did so in exchange for payments ranging from $500 to $1,200 and received more than $40,000 in total in bribes.
He was paid both in cash and via a mobile application, and he sometimes also accepted a portion of the drugs he smuggled into the prison as payment, according to authorities.
Rose pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to use a facility in interstate commerce in furtherance of unlawful activity and one count of extortion under color of official right. A sentencing date has been scheduled for the Sept. 7 term of court.
Rose faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison.