Former worker at Alabama prison charged with bribery

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) – A former worker at a federal prison in Alabama has agreed to plead guilty to a bribery charge involving inmates.

Federal prosecutors in Birmingham said Monday they’ve filed a plea agreement with 54-year-old Eric Pendleton, a Montgomery man who used to work at the federal prison for women in Aliceville.

Prosecutors say Pendleton is accused of taking about $5,700 in bribes to smuggle items into the prison, and of lying to investigators. They say he brought in items including cigarettes and took payment by having inmates’ relatives and friends load money onto prepaid credit cards.

They say some people also sent money orders to a house that Pendleton owned.

Authorities say Pendleton worked at the prison from early 2014 until mid-2015.

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