By Taylor Six
Lexington Herald-Leader
LEXINGTON, Ky. — A former guard at a Lexington prison has pleaded guilty to charges related to smuggling cigarettes and synthetic marijuana to prisoners for thousands of dollars.
A. Jade Howard, a former guard at the Federal Medical Center, pleaded guilty to a count of bribery in federal court on Oct. 6, according to court records.
Howard is also listed in court documents under the names Ashley Howard or Ashley Amber Howard.
Between 2021 and Oct. 16, 2024, Howard worked at the Lexington prison, also known as FMC, as a corrections officer and later a material handler, according to court documents.
In spring 2023, an unidentified inmate approached Howard and asked her to tobacco cigarettes into the facility, despite knowing it was against the prison’s policy.
Howard began to smuggle the contraband and received payment through accounts on mobile banking applications in December 2023. In total, Howard received $18,602, court documents state.
In August 2024, the same inmate approached Howard and asked her to smuggle in synthetic marijuana, according to court records.
She agreed to smuggle in 50 sheets of paper laced with what she believed was synthetic marijuana.
When other FMC staff learned Howard was smuggling contraband in September 2024, they took the remaining sheets of paper. At that time, the staff thought the papers were laced with fentanyl based on how inmates were acting after taking it.
Laboratory testing confirmed a synthetic cannabinoid was on the papers, court records state.
Howard faces a maximum sentence of 15 years and a fine of $250,000. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.
FMC Lexington is a men and women’s federal facility on Leestown Road. According to its website, the prison houses a total of 1,252 inmates.
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