‘A betrayal’: Prison employee accused of taking thousands in payments from ‘high net-worth’ inmate

BOSTON — A Bureau of Prisons employee who works as a correctional counselor at the Federal Medical Center Devens has been charged with accepting payments from an inmate under his care, in violation of his duties as a public official, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Monday.

William S. Tidwell, 49, of Keene, N.H., is also charged with lying to a bank about a loan he received from the inmate’s business associate and forging the associate’s signature to support this false claim, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

Tidwell allegedly received over $90,000 in benefits and a $50,000 property loan, officials said. He was charged in federal court in Boston with receipt of payments by a public official in violation of his official duties, making false statements to a bank and identity theft. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.

Tidwell has been employed by the Bureau of Prisons since 2000 and has been working at the medical center in Devens since 2008, according to the charging documents.

According to prison rules and policies, employees may not receive any payments, gifts, or personal favors from inmates, give preferential treatment to any inmate in the performance of their duties, or engage in outside employment that conflicts with their duties.

Around 2014, Tidwell began working as a correctional counselor at the Devens site, in a position that gave him “significant levels of contact with, and authority over, inmates,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Among other duties, Tidwell was responsible for monitoring inmate work assignments, assigning inmate housing assignments, arranging inmate legal calls and coordinating prison visits for inmates, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. One of the inmates for whom Tidwell served as a correctional counselor was “Individual 1″ – an “ultra-high net worth individual” who had been convicted on federal charges in another jurisdiction.

Prosecutors allege that starting in 2018, the inmate, identified as “Individual 1,″ directed “a stream of benefits” to be paid to Tidwell.

In November 2018, Tidwell supervised “Individual 1,” who allegedly directed a close friend and business associate (identified as “Individual 2″) to wire $25,000 to Tidwell’s close family member.

“Thereafter, starting in 2019, Tidwell and Individual 1 allegedly entered into an agreement pursuant to which Individual 1 would direct thousands of dollars to Tidwell as part of a property management agreement, which used Individual 2 as the conduit through which payments were made to Tidwell,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

In total, between 2019 and 2020, Tidwell allegedly received over $65,000 in benefits as part of this property management agreement with “Individuals 1 and 2,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

“Tidwell’s alleged receipt of payments and his employment relationship with an inmate or a close associate of an inmate violated his official duties as a BOP employee,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

In 2020, it is alleged that Tidwell, who was trying to buy a home, received a $50,000 loan from “Individual 2″ while seeking financing for the home purchase. Tidwell is accused of making multiple false statements to the bank in connection with his loan application, by “falsely telling the bank that the $50,000 was a gift from his employer,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. 

“It is further, alleged that when the bank asked for written proof of this purported gift, Tidwell forged documents to support his earlier claim, including by unlawfully using Individual 2′s name and address, and forging Individual 2′s signature,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

In a statement Monday, Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy called the case “a serious violation” of trust.

“Corrections officers are placed in a position of public trust. The vast majority of corrections officers carry out their duties with integrity and professionalism. They know that accepting payments from an inmate – as is alleged against Mr. Tidwell here – is a serious violation of that trust and a betrayal of the BOP’s mission to care FOR federal inmates in a safe and impartial manner,” Levy said. “This office is committed to holding public officials accountable when they exploit their power or official position to enrich themselves and compromise the public interest.”

In a statement, Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Boston Division, said the agency will continue to “root out” corruption in government.

“William Tidwell is alleged to have abused his authority and abandoned his duty after he befriended an inmate in his care and accepted tens of thousands of dollars from him,” said DiMenna. “Today’s arrest underscores the importance the criminal justice system places on policing its own. Make no mistake, the FBI will continue to work with our partners to root out public corruption wherever it may lie because it not only undermines the integrity of our government but is a violation of the public’s trust.”

Ryan Geach, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General New York Field Office, said in a statement, “The safety and security of federal prisons depends on the integrity of Correctional Officers. By allegedly accepting tens of thousands of dollars from an inmate, Tidwell compromised his integrity and jeopardized the safety and security of the institution.”

A person convicted of receiving payments in violation of official duties faces a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

A person convicted of making false statements to a bank faces a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million.

A person convicted of identity theft faces a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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