Former Fulton County Detention Officer Pleads Guilty to Public Corruption and Drug Trafficking Charges

Anthony is Fourth Jail Employee to be Convicted Recently in Federal Court of Accepting Bribes to Smuggle Contraband into County Jail

ATLANTA—Former Fulton County Jail Detention Officer BRIAN SHELBY ANTHONY, 31, of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty today in federal district court to attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, and to accepting bribes of more than $26,000 to facilitate the distribution of drugs inside the county jail and other locations in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said, “It is bad enough when a law enforcement officer falls to the temptation to cash in on his badge, even once. This former officer sold his badge over and over again in different types of crimes without any apparent regard for the public’s safety. This repeated criminal activity is the opposite of what an officer with a conscience stands for. Both in and outside the jail, there are hundreds of good and respected officers who will not trade the public’s trust for a payoff.”

Brian D. Lamkin, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, said, “Today’s plea brings to a quick close one man’s career in law enforcement. This defendant was not only willing to profit from his position of trust on the streets, but was also willing to place his peers in harm’s way by undermining rules, regulations, and the law by allowing contraband into the Fulton County Detention Facility. The FBI will continue to work with the Fulton County Sheriff on such matters and asks that anyone with information regarding public corruption, to include that of law enforcement officers, contact their nearest FBI field office.”

Fulton County Sheriff Theodore “Ted” Jackson said, “This individual disgraced the uniform by taking bribes and egregiously disregarding his oath which endangered the public that he swore to protect and serve with integrity. The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office owes a great deal of gratitude to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for helping this agency be rid of corrupt individuals such as Brian Shelby Anthony. There is zero tolerance for the smuggling of contraband at the Fulton County Jail. Internal procedures have been established to address this issue as well as improving security for our employees, inmates, and visitors.”

According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges, and other information presented in court: On February 18, 2011, ANTHONY, while employed as a detention officer at the Fulton County Jail, accepted $950 from an individual working with the FBI in an undercover capacity to deliver an ounce of fake marijuana along with four cellular telephones and cigarettes to a specific inmate inside the jail. Then on April 19, 2011, ANTHONY accepted $1000 to deliver another ounce of fake marijuana, three cellular telephones and cigarettes to the same inmate. On each occasion, after accepting the bribes, ANTHONY made the deliveries to the specific inmate as planned. The contraband was then collected by investigators.

In the weeks between April 19, 2011 and May 4, 2011, an FBI undercover agent spoke with ANTHONY about protecting drug deals outside of the jail. ANTHONY expressed interest and agreed to provide protection for cocaine deliveries.

On three occasions between May 4, 2011 and June 2, 2011, ANTHONY, dressed in his Fulton County Sheriff’s Office uniform, provided protection for undercover transactions which he believed to be drug deals involving multiple kilograms of cocaine. The transactions occurred in Atlanta, Lawrenceville and Norcross. ANTHONY agreed to protect each drug deal in exchange for a cash payment and accepted three bribes totaling $25,000.

ANTHONY was indicted in June, 2011. He could receive a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000,000 for each cocaine offense, a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each marijuana offense and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.00 for the extortion offenses. In determining the actual sentence, the court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders. Sentencing for ANTHONY is set for March 26, 2012, at 10 a.m., before United States District Judge Steve C. Jones.

ANTHONY is the fourth former Fulton County law enforcement officer to recently plead guilty in federal court.

■On November 29, 2011, former Detention Officer Ail Scott, 32, of Atlanta, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted possession with the intent to distribute cocaine inside the county jail and two counts of extortion under color of official right for accepting $650 to smuggle drugs into the jail.

■On November 8, 2011, former Deputy Sheriff Marcie Thriven Dingle, Jr., 34, of Lithonia, Georgia, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted possession with the intent to distribute cocaine inside and outside the county jail and two counts of extortion under color of official right for accepting more than $2,000 to smuggle drugs into the jail and to protect a drug transaction outside of the jail.

■On October 24, 2011, former Detention Officer Derrick Dasheen Frazier, 32, of Stock bridge, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of extortion under color of official right for accepting $300 to smuggle mobile telephones into the county jail.

This case is being investigated by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant United States Attorney Brent Alan Gray is prosecuting the case.

For further information, please contact Sally Q. Yates, United States Attorney, or Charysse L. Alexander, Executive Assistant United States Attorney, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney’s Office, at (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is Justice.gov/usao/gan.