A federal correctional officer who worked at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex (FCC Coleman) has been indicted on charges of accepting bribes to smuggle contraband into the facility, according to an announcement made by United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
The indictment names Karen Torres, 50, of St. Cloud, charging her with one count of receipt of a bribe by a public official. Torres, who was employed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, is accused of receiving monetary payments over a nearly three-year period—between May 2022 and March 3, 2025.
These payments were allegedly made in exchange for her influence and actions in smuggling unauthorized items into the Sumter County prison.
Torres faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is also seeking to recover the financial gains from the alleged crime, with the indictment specifying that the United States will seek a forfeiture order for $43,550, the proceeds of the criminal offense.
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