SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jordan Kinglee, 23, of Susanville, pleaded guilty today to honest services wire fraud for smuggling cellphones into prison, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
According to court documents, while working as a correctional officer at the California Correctional Center (CCC) in Susanville, Kinglee smuggled cellphones into the prison for an inmate. A friend of the inmate, who was not in custody, paid Kinglee more than $8,000 to smuggle the cellphones. As a correctional officer, Kinglee was prohibited under California law from providing cellphones to prisoners, receiving any compensation from prisoners or their representatives, and from any barter or dealings with any prisoner. Kinglee was arrested on May 12, 2015.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Office of Internal Affairs Northern Region, and the Susanville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Christiaan Highsmith is prosecuting the case.
Kinglee is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. on June 9, 2016. Kinglee faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.