CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. – A federal correctional officer in Florida is facing more than a decade behind bars after admitting he took a bribe to sneak a cellphone into a detention center. Dekarri Nixon, a 28-year-old from Jasper, officially entered a guilty plea in Tampa for accepting a bribe as a public official, U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced this week.
The charges stem from Nixon’s time working at the Citrus County Detention Facility (CCDF). Because the facility houses federal detainees waiting for their day in court, Nixon was tasked with supervising inmates on behalf of the United States government.
Court records show that during his tenure, Nixon struck a deal to accept $4,000 in exchange for smuggling a mobile device into the secure area.
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Federal authorities noted that introducing contraband like cellphones into a jail isn’t just a policy violation; it’s a major safety hazard. Officials explained that these devices pose a security risk to staff, inmates, and the general public.
As part of the plea, the government is moving to seize the $4,000 Nixon received from the deal. He now faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison.
While the investigation involved several agencies—including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office—a date for Nixon’s sentencing has not yet been scheduled. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Buchanan.
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