A 28-year-old correctional officer has pleaded guilty to smuggling narcotics into the prison system.
United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced that Troy Alexander Cole, 28, Fort Myers, has pleaded guilty to attempted distribution of methamphetamine and MDMA (commonly referred to as “Molly”).
Cole faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, Cole worked as a correctional officer at the Charlotte Correctional Institution (CCI) in Punta Gorda.
In June 2021, on three separate occasions, Cole agreed to smuggle methamphetamine or MDMA into the prison where he worked and provide the contraband to an inmate. He agreed to do so in exchange for payments of $400, $1,000, and $4,000, respectively.
On each occasion, Cole picked up a package containing what he believed were the controlled substances and then entered CCI.
Cole would then conceal the packages containing the purported controlled substances and notify the inmate that they were available for retrieval.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.
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