Fort Myers, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Leslie Spencer (49, Port Charlotte) to 30 months in federal prison for attempting to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances. Spencer had pleaded guilty on September 21, 2021.
According to court records, Spencer worked as a correctional officer at the Charlotte Correctional Institution’s offsite work camp located in Fort Myers. The FBI learned that Spencer was accepting payments from prisoners in exchange for smuggling contraband into the prison, including drugs and cellphones.
In March 2021, Spencer agreed to smuggle three ounces of methamphetamine, three ounces of MDMA, and two cellphones into the prison for an inmate working as an FBI confidential source. Spencer told the confidential source to make sure the items were packaged in a way that they could be discreetly brought into the prison. Spencer also told the source of additional steps that he would take to avoid security measures implemented at the prison to prevent employees from smuggling in contraband.
After the deal had been agreed to, Spencer met with an undercover FBI special agent posing as a supplier of drugs. The two met in the parking lot of a Fort Myers retail store, where the undercover agent provided Spencer with sham methamphetamine and MDMA, cellphones, and payment for the smuggling operation. Upon leaving the retail store, Spencer was arrested by federal agents.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.