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A former federal prison guard was indicted on misconduct in office charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for South Carolina.
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A federal grand jury in Florence returned a three-count indictment charging Joseph Templeton, 30, of Elgin, with bribery, money laundering and possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, according to a news release.
While employed as a correctional officer at the Federal Correctional Institution in Bennettsville, prosecutors say Templeton accepted more than $60,000 in bribes from an inmate and people associated with the inmate.
In exchange, the indictment says, he smuggled contraband into the prison — including cell phones and accessories, cigarettes and THC — then falsely processed the items as if they had been seized by staff before distributing them inside the facility.
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Templeton faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, if convicted, the release said.
The investigation was conducted by the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General, the FBI’s Columbia Field Office and the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Hummel is prosecuting the case, according to the release.
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