A former state prison officer has pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges.
John Paul Ketteman, 28, of Huntsville, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Liles C. Burke to accepting a bribe from a federal agent or organization, according to a joint statement issued Thursday by Northern District of Alabama U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Chris DiMenna, and U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis.
According to the plea bargain, Ketteman worked as a prison officer at the Alabama Department of Corrections’ Limestone Correctional Facility in Harvest.
Ketteman’s role entailed examining jail cells for contraband and managing prisoners. He was hired by ADOC on June 8, 2012 and resigned on November 22, 2022.
He was one of four prison officers arrested on state charges in 2022. One of them, Alex Christian Andrews, has also been charged federally, according to court records.
In the fall of 2022, ADOC’s Law Enforcement Services Division launched an investigation into contraband carried into the Limestone Facility by correctional officials.
The investigation included obtaining Cash App records for Ketteman’s account.
According to the papers, Ketteman was paid over $10,000 in less than three months in 2022 to smuggle contraband into the Limestone Facility and operate as a lookout.
According to prosecution filings, Ketteman informed an inmate about planned inspections.
Ketteman is expected to be sentenced on June 24.
The maximum penalty for accepting a bribe as an agent or organization receiving government funds is ten years in prison.
The FBI and US Secret Service examined the cases. Throughout the inquiry, ADOC’s Law Enforcement Services Division was quite helpful.
John M. Hundscheid, an Assistant United States Attorney, is prosecuting the case.