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On Tuesday, the United States Attorney’s Office and the United States Marshals Service for the Middle District of Alabama announced that a former correctional officer at the Montgomery County Detention Facility was indicted on federal charges.
Mario Avery was indicted by a federal grand jury on three counts which include bribery, conspiracy to provide contraband to an inmate and providing contraband to a federal inmate. Avery was arrested Monday by the U.S. Marshals Service.
According to the indictment Avery conspired with others to provide the contraband to an incarcerated individual and was paid to smuggle the contraband inside the detention facility. Also, the indictment alleges Avery smuggled contraband to the incarcerated person previously in Nov. 2022.
Avery’s initial appearance and arraignment were heled Tuesday afternoon and he plead not guilty to all three counts against him.
According to WSFA, there have been two other correctional officers involved in similar incidents like Avery. Darrell Alvin Coleman Jr. was arrested in May for bringing synthetic drugs into the facility. In July, Timothy Bernard Sumerlin was charged with bribery of a public official and conspiracy to provide contraband.
Last Thursday Jasmonique Ware, a mental health worker for Alabama’s prisons, was arrested at William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility and found to have marijuana and suspected methamphetamine in her possession when she was searched by correctional officers.
If convicted on all three counts Avery could face a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
