Crime
William S. Tidwell, 49, of Keene, New Hampshire, has agreed to plead responsible to bribery in violation of official duties, making false statements to a financial institution, and id theft.
BOSTON (AP) — An inmate counselor at a federal jail in Massachusetts obtained about $140,000 in unlawful advantages and loans via a rich prisoner in his care, federal prosecutors stated.
William S. Tidwell, 49, of Keene, New Hampshire, has agreed to plead responsible to bribery in violation of official duties, making false statements to a financial institution and id theft, the U.S. lawyer in Boston stated Monday.
Tidwell will seem in federal courtroom at a later date. His lawyer, Brad Bailey, stated Tuesday he had no remark.
Tidwell has labored for the Bureau of Prisons since 2000 and since 2008 has been on the Federal Medical Heart-Devens. As a counselor, his duties included working intently with inmates on their work and housing assignments. Beneath Bureau of Prisons guidelines, staff usually are not allowed to obtain funds, presents, or private favors from inmates.
One of many inmates Tidwell supervised was what prosecutors described as an “ultra-high web value” particular person serving time for monetary crimes.
That inmate, recognized solely as “Particular person 1” in courtroom paperwork, in 2018 directed an in depth good friend and enterprise affiliate to wire $25,000 to a member of Tidwell’s household, prosecutors stated. Beginning in 2019, Tidwell and the rich inmate entered right into a property administration settlement that resulted in $65,000 in advantages to Tidwell, prosecutors stated.
Tidwell additionally allegedly obtained a $50,000 mortgage from the rich inmate’s affiliate to purchase a house, prosecutors stated. He lied, telling the financial institution that the $50,000 was a present and forging paperwork to assist that declare, authorties stated.
“Corrections officers are positioned ready of public belief,” appearing U.S. Lawyer Joshua Levy stated in an announcement. “The overwhelming majority of corrections officers perform their duties with integrity and professionalism. They know that accepting funds from an inmate — as is alleged in opposition to Mr. Tidwell right here — is a critical violation of that belief and a betrayal of the BOP’s mission to take care of federal inmates in a secure and neutral method.”