Former Danville Jail Employee Pleads Guilty To Stealing Inmates' Mail

September 23, 2014

DANVILLE, VIRGINIA – A former corrections officer at the Danville Adult Detention Center pled guilty today to a charge related to his admitted stealing of mail addressed to inmates at the facility.

Ezra Lamont Price, 33, of Danville, waived his right to be indicted today and pled guilty to an Information that charged him with one count of theft of mail. At sentencing, the defendant faces up to five years in federal prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000.

Today in District Court, Price admitted to taking mail intended for inmates being housed at the Danville Adult Detention Center, opening that mail and taking things of value contained within. Those items included cash, money orders and gift cards.

During an investigation by the United States Postal Service-Office on the Inspector General, several pieces of mail containing gift cards were sent in an undercover capacity from federal agents to prisoners at the Danville Adult Detention Center. That mail and the gift cards contained within, were diverted by Price and used at local businesses.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the United States Postal Service- Office of the Inspector General, the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Danville City Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Laura Rottenborn will prosecute the case for the United States.