PROVIDENCE – A former Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility correctional officer was sentenced on Monday for attempting to smuggle contraband inside the facility, U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island Zachary A. Cunha announced.
Kristopher White, 26, pleaded guilty in May to a federal charge of attempting to provide contraband in prison. He was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to time served, with two years of probation – the first six months to be served in home confinement with GPS monitoring – and 200 hours of community service.
White admitted to the court that he agreed to participate in an inmate-led scheme to smuggle contraband inside the detention center. He admitted that, during nonworking hours, he met with an associate of a detainee who provided him with several pieces of paper soaked in a controlled substance, as well as payment for White’s participation.
While on duty in 2021, White left the detention center and retrieved the contraband from his vehicle. As he reentered the facility, the defendant was intercepted by Wyatt officials and the contraband was seized.