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Kisha Perkins, 43, of Waterbury, was also sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea to one year of supervised release, for participating in a bribe scheme at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, where she was employed as a case manager.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Perkins approached another FCI Danbury employee in June 2013 about an opportunity to participate in a scheme to solicit a cash bribe from an inmate there in exchange for the inmate’s early release to a halfway house.
At that time, Perkins held the job title of unit counselor at FCI Danbury and did not have administrative authority to recommend inmates for early release.
She explained that her co-worker, who had the administrative ability to recommend inmates for early release, was needed to complete the scheme.
Perkins’ co-worker declined to participate in the scheme, reported the incident to law enforcement and agreed to cooperate in the investigation.
In July 2013, under the direction of law enforcement, Perkins’ co-worker told Perkins that he/she had changed his/her mind and wanted to participate.
Perkins said the plan involving the inmate was no longer feasible. But in February 2014, as part of an undercover scenario, Perkins’ co-worker identified a second inmate as a possible candidate for the bribe scheme.
Perkins agreed to participate. After extensive planning, on March 8, 2014, Perkins and her co-worker traveled to a commuter lot off Exit 28 on I-84 to pick up a partial bribe payment of $5,000 in cash in a fast food bag that Perkins believed would be dropped off by an acquaintance of the inmate.
Perkins was arrested on March 14, 2014.
On April 27, 2015, she pleaded guilty to one count of acceptance of a bribe by a public official.
In pleading guilty, Perkins specifically admitted that she participated in the scheme and, in February 2014, agreed to accept a pair of shoes or a Louis Vuitton pocketbook in return for counseling the employee regarding the bribe scheme and failing to report the bribe scheme to prison officials.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General.
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