PHILADELPHIA, PA — United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Breyanna Cornish, 30, Jawayne Brown, 40, and Ahmad Nasir, also known as Hussain Abdussamad, 44, all from Philadelphia, entered guilty pleas this week before United States District Court Judge Gerald J. Pappert. The charges stem from their involvement in a scheme to smuggle contraband into the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center (PICC) from April through July 2021.
Nasir, a former pre-trial detainee at PICC, along with Brown, who was not incarcerated, and Cornish, a former correctional officer with the Philadelphia Department of Prisons, collaborated to bring illegal items such as cellphones, chargers, drugs, cigarettes, and weapons into the facility. According to court filings, Nasir arranged for delivery of the contraband items, which Cornish smuggled into the prison. Nasir then sold these items to other inmates, using the proceeds to compensate Cornish and Brown for their roles.
On July 10, 2021, a search conducted by prison officials uncovered a hidden cache of contraband in the cell Nasir shared with another inmate. Among the items recovered were 19 cellphones, 20 chargers, three hunting knives, synthetic drugs, and over 100 packets of Suboxone. Additional cellphones were found on Nasir and his cellmate, revealing messages that detailed the logistics of the smuggling operation.
Cornish pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery and federal program bribery, while Brown pleaded guilty to those same charges, along with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute an illegal substance. Nasir pleaded guilty to both conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute charges, as well as federal program bribery.
If convicted on all counts, Cornish faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, Brown up to 25 years, and Nasir up to 35 years. Sentencing is scheduled to take place in August.
The FBI conducted the investigation with assistance from the Philadelphia Department of Prisons. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Meghan Claiborne and Ruth Mandelbaum.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.