A Boise federal grand jury has indicted four current correctional officers employed by the Idaho Department of Correction, U.S. Attorney Bart Davis said Thursday. In another case, the grand jury indicted a former IDOC correctional officer, a former IDOC inmate and the inmate’s associate.
Both cases were indicted on Tuesday, April 10, and all seven defendants were arrested Thursday.
One indictment charges four IDOC correctional officers with several federal offenses as follows:
IDOC correctional officer Timothy Landon, 35, of Boise, is charged with two counts of conspiracy to aid and abet the distribution of controlled substances and one count of possession and transportation of contraband cigarettes.
IDOC correctional officer Richard McCollough, 36, of Boise, is charged with one count of conspiracy to aid and abet the distribution of controlled substances, two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of distribution of cocaine;
IDOC correctional officer Eric Thompson, 38, of Star, is charged with one count of conspiracy to aid and abet the distribution of controlled substances, two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of distribution of cocaine and
IDOC correctional officer Robert Wallin, 35, of Boise, is charged with one count of conspiracy to aid and abet the distribution of controlled substances and one count of possession and transportation of contraband cigarettes.
According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the case arose “out of the defendants’ willingness to participate in a large-scale drug trafficking organization and to use their positions as IDOC employees to assist in illegal activity.”
The charges of conspiracy to aid and abet the distribution of controlled substances and distribution of cocaine are punishable by a minimum of ten years in prison up to life and a $10,000,000 fine. The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is punishable by a minimum of five years in prison in addition to the sentence for the underlying drug crime. A second conviction for this offense carries with it an additional 25-year prison sentence to run consecutively to the first conviction for this offense and the underlying drug crime. The charge of possession and transportation of contraband cigarettes is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The second indictment charges former IDOC correctional officer Joshua Barney, 43, of Boise, former IDOC inmate Colin McIntyre, 27, of Stanfield, Oregon, and McIntyre’s associate, Tiffany Culbertson, 23, of Meridian, each with one count of conspiracy to commit extortion, two counts of extortion, one count of conspiracy to use a facility in interstate commerce in furtherance of unlawful activity, and two counts of use of a facility in interstate commerce in furtherance of unlawful activity, the release stated.
MeridianThe case arose out of the defendants’ scheme to smuggle contraband into an IDOC prison facility. Violations are punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Conspiracy to use, and using, a facility in interstate commerce in furtherance of unlawful activity is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The indictments resulted from an investigation initiated by the FBI at IDOC’s request to address concerns of corruption among IDOC correctional officers. In addition to the FBI, the Boise Police Department, the Meridian Police Department, and the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office participated in the investigation.
