Federal Texarkana Correctional Officer And Inmate Guilty Of Bribery Conspiracy

The Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Cox announced that a 55-year-old Titus County man and a 54-year-old federal inmate have pleaded guilty to a bribery conspiracy.

James Thompson pleaded guilty on August 5, 2020, to conspiring to commit bribery before U.S. Magistrate Judge Caroline M. Craven. In his plea agreement, Thompson agreed to forfeit $17,200.00 in United States currency and cash proceeds from his scheme.

Gilbert Gomez pleaded guilty on August 31, 2020, to conspiring to commit bribery before U.S. Magistrate Judge Caroline M. Craven. Gomez agreed to forfeit $15,000.00 in United States currency and cash proceeds from his scheme in his plea agreement.

According to information presented in court, beginning before August 2019 and continuing through January 2020, Thompson, a federal correctional officer, and Gomez, a federal inmate, engaged in a scheme to smuggle contraband into the Federal Correctional Institution located in Texarkana, Texas. During the act, Thompson received cash bribe payments and prison contraband at a post office box under “Bobby Brown.” Thompson then smuggled the contraband into FCI Texarkana when he entered the facility to go to work. Gomez coordinated the scheme from inside the institution, where he arraigned cash bribe payments and delivered the smuggled contraband to other inmates. Thompson and Gomez received more than $30,000.00 total for smuggling contraband into FCI Texarkana.

Under federal statutes, Thompson and Gomez face up to five years in federal prison at sentencing. The statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the court will determine the sentencing based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

The Dallas Field Office of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, and the Fort Worth Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating the case, U.S. Attorney Jonathan R. Hornok is prosecuting.