Former Correctional Officer Sentenced To Federal Prison for Attempting To Traffick Drugs

SAVANNAH, GA – Akeiran Lawson, a former federal correctional officer from Lumber City, Georgia, was sentenced earlier this week to 46 months in prison by Senior U. S. District Judge William T. Moore, Jr., for attempting to traffick cocaine for a federal prisoner. After serving his prison sentence, Lawson will be on federal supervised release for 3 years. There is no parole in the federal system.

Evidence presented at the guilty plea and sentencing hearings revealed that Lawson, while working at the McRae Federal Correctional Facility in McRae, Georgia, approached an inmate and offered to transport cocaine for an unknown drug organization in exchange for money. The inmate contacted other law enforcement officials to let them know of Lawson’s offer. In a sting operation, undercover agents communicated with Lawson, who agreed to transport a kilogram of cocaine from Savannah to Atlanta for $2,000. On November 3, 2016, shortly after Lawson received from undercover agents fake cocaine and half of his anticipated payment, Lawson was arrested without incident.

Acting United States Attorney James D. Durham said, “This officer was willing to sell his badge for personal payoffs from supposed drug dealers. Not only did he betray the institution he was sworn to protect, he also betrayed the ideals that honest, hard-working correctional officers uphold every day.”

"We appreciate the collaborative efforts of the U. S. Attorney’s Office, the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team, and the New York City DEA Task Force in this investigation, which helped bring this correctional officer’s corrupt conduct to light and ensured that he would be held accountable,” stated Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Bourbon of the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Inspector General’s Miami Field Office.

The case was investigated by special agents of the DOJ Office of the Inspector General, with assistance from the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team and the New York City Drug Enforcement Agency Task Force. Assistant U. S. Attorney Marcela C. Mateo prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. For questions, please call the United States Attorney’s Office at (912) 201-2522.