By Javon L. Harris
The State
FLORENCE, S.C. — A former federal prison guard was indicted on misconduct in office charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for South Carolina .
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.
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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