Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced inmate Jerrard Bazemore, a/k/a Tic, age 36, to 51 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a racketeering conspiracy charge related to his participation in a scheme to smuggle contraband into the Maryland Correctional Institution Jessup (MCIJ), including heroin, fentanyl, Suboxone, and K2 (a synthethic cannabinoid) in exchange for bribe payments. The sentence was imposed on March 4, 2022.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Secretary Robert L. Green, of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.
According to court documents, MCIJ was a medium-security prison in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, that housed approximately 1,100 male inmates, with 262 custody staff or Correctional Officers (COs) and 52 non-custody staff, including case management, medical, and administrative staff.
As detailed in his plea agreement, Bazemore conspired with other inmates, individuals outside the facility who obtained and packaged contraband, and with Correctional Dietary Office (CDO) Patricia McDaniel, to smuggle narcotics and other contraband into MCIJ in exchange for bribe payments.
In recorded phone calls over a contraband cell phone, Bazemore was heard discussing with outside facilitators receiving payments and obtaining drugs to be provided to CDO McDaniel. On August 30, 2017, after phone calls with outside facilitators to obtain contraband and arrange to get it to McDaniel, Bazemore sent a message to McDaniel stating, “I love you. Don’t forget it.” Bazemore told McDaniel to put the contraband in her shoes. The following day, Bazemore confirmed to his outside facilitator that the contraband had successfully entered MCIJ.
On September 4, 2017, McDaniel informed Bazemore that another correctional officer had discovered their relationship and discussed how to make sure that Bazemore would keep his prison job in the kitchen, where McDaniel worked. On September 16, 2017, in a recorded phone call over a contraband cell phone, Bazemore informed McDaniel that he had a $300 bribe payment for her. McDaniel told Bazemore that she met with one of Bazemore’s facilitators the night before to obtain contraband.
On September 17, 2017, McDaniel was stopped in the MCIJ park lot in possession of a purple balloon containing heroin, fentanyl, Suboxone, and K2, that she intended to smuggle into MCIJ for Bazemore.
Patricia McDaniel, Correctional Dietary Officer, age 29, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to the racketeering conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.
This case arose from the efforts of the Maryland Prison Task Force, coordinated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and comprised of local, state, and federal stakeholders that meet regularly to share information and generate recommendations to reform prison procedures and attack the gang problem that has plagued Maryland in recent years. The work of the Task Force previously resulted in the federal convictions of more than 78 defendants, including 16 correctional officers, at the Eastern Correctional Institution, and 40 defendants, including 24 correctional officers, at the Baltimore City Detention Center.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for their work in the investigation. The U.S. Attorney expressed appreciation to the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, whose staff initiated the MCIJ investigation and have been full partners in this investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean R. Delaney, who is prosecuting this case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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