TERRE HAUTE, Indiana — Jordan Kelsheimer, a 25-year-old former corrections officer from Blanford, Indiana, has been sentenced to eight months in federal prison after pleading guilty to accepting bribes as a public official. The sentencing took place in the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana, where Kelsheimer was previously employed by the United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Court records reveal that Kelsheimer began smuggling tobacco into the federal prison in 2019, a violation of federal prison regulations prohibiting inmate use of such products. The discovery of eight packs of Newport cigarettes and a series of love letters from an inmate led to Kelsheimer’s admission of receiving $400 per carton from an inmate’s relative through CashApp, totaling $5,140 over 15 separate transactions.
Further investigations uncovered allegations of Kelsheimer engaging in inappropriate and intimate contact with an inmate, including kissing and other intimate activities, within the confines of the housing unit she was assigned to.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers, emphasized the violation of public trust and the danger posed by Kelsheimer’s actions to both correctional staff and inmates. He reaffirmed the commitment of his office, along with the FBI and the DOJ Office of Inspector General, to address corruption and abuse within federal prisons.
The FBI and the Department of Justice- Office of Inspector General’s Chicago Field Office conducted the investigation leading to Kelsheimer’s sentencing by U.S. District Court Judge James P. Hanlon. In addition to prison time, Judge Hanlon ordered Kelsheimer to undergo two years of supervised release and to pay a $500 fine. This case underscores the expectation of integrity and accountability for those in positions of authority within the corrections system.