Former SCDC captain pleads guilty to bribery scheme
Image: Department of Justice (D.O.J.)
Image: Department of Justice (D.O.J.)
LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. (WOLO)– A former SCDC captain has pleaded guilty to honest services wire fraud conspiracy for her role in a bribery scheme, said the DOJ.
According to evidence presented in court, an investigation revealed that 47-year-old Christine Mary Livingston accepted bribes from a least 45 prisoners and three family members of prisoners in exchange for smuggling contraband into BRCI and in exchange for failing to enforce contraband law and policy.
She is accused of operating at least 14 peer-to-peer payment accounts on platforms such as Cash App that were established in false names but were linked to her legitimate bank accounts to accept the bribes.
One of her Cash App accounts received at least $279,000 in bribes, of which more than $225,000 was transferred to her personal bank accounts, according to the DOJ.
DOJ officials said Livingston then used the proceeds for personal enrichment including on shopping, ATM cash withdraws, and the purchase of cryptocurrency.
Livingston is accused of purchasing at least 173 cell phones on her personal Amazon account during the conspiracy, along with 130 SIM cards and phone accessories, headphones, screen protectors, and phone chargers.
According to the DOJ, at least eight witnesses would have cooperated against Livingston at trial, including family members of prisoners, and records obtained from Facebook and contraband phones recovered by SCDC confirmed the bribery scheme.
“Livingston used her position and rank for personal, criminal gain which endangered other staff members and those housed at Broad River Correctional Institute,” said U.S. Attorney Adair Ford Boroughs for the District of South Carolina.
During the alleged crime Livingston was a 16-year veteran of the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC), and resigned in November 2021.
She faces up to 20 years in federal prison, with the government agreeing to recommend up to eight years as a part of her plea agreement which is to be followed by court ordered supervision, $250,000 in monetary penalties, and forfeiture of assets including up to the full value of the bribes.
Livingston is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon on June 30.
Jerell Reaves, a co-defendant and prisoner responsible for more than $42,000 in bribes to Livingston, was recently sentenced to 60 months imprisonment by United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon which is to be followed by three years of supervision by U.S. Probation.
The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office and the SCDC Office of Inspector General.
