PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – William Brett Brownell, 30, of Milton, Florida, was sentenced to an 8-month consecutive prison term after pleading guilty to charges of possession of contraband by a federal prisoner, introduction of contraband to a federal prison, and escape. The sentence was announced today by Jason R. Coody, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Between October 2019 and June 2020, Brownell obtained, possessed, and distributed to fellow prisoners at the Federal Prison Camp in Pensacola various prohibited items, including marijuana, alcohol, phones, SD cards and readers, and tobacco products. Brownell coordinated the contraband “drops” by using a contraband cell phone. The indictment also alleges that around approximately the same time frame, Brownell escaped from custody by leaving prison limits without permission.
Brownell was in the midst of serving a 70-month sentence for marijuana trafficking and money laundering convictions, and he must serve 8 additional months after that as a result of the sentence in this case.
This case resulted from a joint investigation by the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Services, the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Eglin Air Force Base 96th Test Wing Legal Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Alicia Forbes prosecuted this case.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
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