Former Atlanta Federal Correctional Officer Convicted in Inmate Drug Smuggling Scheme
A former federal correctional officer was convicted of helping inmates run a drug smuggling scheme from inside prison walls.
Patrick Shackelford, a former federal correctional officer and plumbing supervisor, was convicted of accepting bribes and conspiring with inmates to smuggle narcotics and other contraband into U.S. Penitentiary Atlanta (USP-Atlanta). He was taken into custody following the verdict.
“Shackelford betrayed his oath, chose to be a corrupt tool of the inmates in his charge, and potentially endangered the safety and security of his fellow officers and prisoners through his brazen conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg of the Northern District of Georgia.
Plumbing Work Used to Smuggle Drugs
Prosecutors say that from June 2018 through February 2019 Shackelford conspired with inmates that were on his plumbing team to smuggle in prohibited items such as meth and marijuana into USP-Atlanta.
He allegedly informed one of the inmates– James Hughes– about a hidden room next to the prison visitation area. Under the guise of making plumbing repairs, Hughes and another inmate created passageways into the hidden room and created a hole under the sink in the visitation area’s restroom.
Visitors to the prison brought the inmates packages with contraband, which were then pushed through the restroom sink into the hidden room. Inmates then picked up the contraband, using a plumbing cart and other tools to conceal the drugs.
Prosecutors say Shackelford allowed the inmates to hide the contraband in an empty office and helped escort inmates through checkpoints to deliver the packages.
The former officer allegedly received about $5,000 in cash and pain pills from inmates, as well as having the inmate plumbing crew complete his plumbing assignments.
The scheme was busted in 2019 when prison officials discovered over two dozen packages containing meth, marijuana, cell phones, and other items, in the ceiling of the plumbing office.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 20, 2026. Shackelford faces a mandatory minimum of ten years behind bars without the possibility of parole.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG) are investigating.
