BOISE - Former Idaho Department of Correction (“IDOC”) correctional officer Erik Thompson was sentenced yesterday for firearms offenses he committed as part of an FBI sting operation that uncovered corruption by IDOC correctional officers, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced.  U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill sentenced Erik Thompson, 39, to 97 months in prison.  Thompson will be placed on supervised release for three years after release from prison.

The FBI initiated the sting operation in this case at IDOC’s request to weed out corruption among IDOC correctional officers.  The FBI was able to locate corrupt prison guards by using undercover agents who invited the guards to commit crimes outside of IDOC’s facilities.  The defendants believed that the undercover agents they were assisting were large‑scale drug traffickers.  The guards provided security and completed other tasks for the undercover agents during staged deliveries of drug loads and drug money.  Thompson and co‑defendant Richard McCollough carried firearms with them during the staged drug operations.  No drugs were in the sole possession of the defendants, and no drugs or other contraband were brought into any IDOC facility as part of these operations.

Thompson pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Co-defendant McCollough also pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  McCollough also was sentenced to 97 months in prison by Judge Winmill.

Co-defendants Timothy Landon and Robert Wallin each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to aid and abet drug trafficking.  Landon was sentenced to 41 months in prison.  Wallin was sentenced to 37 months in prison.  All defendants will be placed on supervised release for three years after release from prison.

In addition to the FBI, the Boise Police Department, the Meridian Police Department, IDOC’s Special Investigations Unit, and the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office participated in this investigation.

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BOISE - This week, two more former IDOC correctional officers were sentenced for committing drug trafficking crimes as part of a public corruption sting operation, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced.  U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill sentenced Richard McCollough, 37, to 97 months in prison and Timothy Landon, 36, to 41 months in prison.  Both will be placed on supervised release for three years after their release from prison.

The case stems from a sting operation initiated by the FBI at IDOC’s request to weed out corruption among IDOC correctional officers.  The FBI was able to locate corrupt prison guards by using undercover agents who invited the guards to commit crimes outside of IDOC’s facilities.  The defendants believed that the undercover agents they were assisting were large‑scale drug traffickers.  The guards provided security and completed other tasks for the undercover agents during staged deliveries of drug loads and drug money.  No drugs were in the sole possession of the defendants, and no drugs or other contraband were brought into any IDOC facility as part of these operations.

McCollough pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  He joined Landon and co-defendant Erik Thompson, 37, in several operations for the purported drug trafficking organization.  This included participating in moving large quantities of drugs and counting large amounts of cash that were delivered to the purported drug trafficking organization.

Landon pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to aid and abet drug trafficking.  He participated in one major operation with McCollough and Thompson before splitting off to conduct other operations with co-defendant Robert Wallin, 36, who was sentenced to 37 months in prison on February 21, 2019.

Thompson is scheduled to be sentenced on April 7, 2019 before Judge Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.

In addition to the FBI, the Boise Police Department, the Meridian Police Department, IDOC’s Special Investigations Unit, and the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office participated in the investigation.

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BOISE - Yesterday, former IDOC correctional officer Robert Wallin, 36, was sentenced to 37 months in prison, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced.  U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Wallin to serve three years’ supervised release after he is released from prison.

The case stemmed from a sting operation initiated by the FBI at IDOC’s request to weed out corruption among IDOC correctional officers.  The FBI was able to locate corrupt prison guards by using undercover agents who invited the guards to commit crimes outside of IDOC’s facilities.  The defendants believed that the undercover agents they were assisting were large‑scale drug traffickers.  The guards provided security and completed other tasks for the undercover agents during staged deliveries of drug loads and drug money.  No drugs were in the sole possession of the defendants, and no drugs or other contraband were brought into any IDOC facility as part of these operations.

Wallin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to aid and abet drug trafficking.  According to court records, Wallin joined co-defendant Timothy Landon, 36, in assisting the drug trafficking organization.  This included participating in operations in which large quantities of drugs and cash were delivered to the purported drug trafficking organization.

Co‑defendants and former IDOC correctional officers Richard McCollough, 37, Erik Thompson, 38, and Landon also pleaded guilty to related crimes and are awaiting sentencing.

McCollough will be sentenced on February 25, 2019, Landon will be sentenced on February 26, 2019, and Thompson will be sentenced on April 7, 2019.  Judge Winmill is the sentencing judge for all defendants.

In addition to the FBI, the Boise Police Department, the Meridian Police Department, IDOC’s Special Investigations Unit, and the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office participated in the investigation.

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BOISE - Former IDOC correctional officer Erik Thompson, 37, pleaded guilty on January 7, 2019, in United States District Court to two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced.  Sentencing for Thompson is set for April 7, 2019 before U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.

Thompson was one of four IDOC correctional officers charged with drug trafficking and related crimes stemming from an investigation initiated by the FBI at IDOC’s request to address concerns of corruption among IDOC correctional officers.

Thompson was charged with conspiracy to aid and abet drug trafficking crimes, distribution of cocaine, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of those drug trafficking offenses.  Previously, co-defendants Richard McCollough, 37, pleaded guilty to the same firearms offenses as Thompson, while Robert Wallin, 36, and Timothy Landon, 36, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to aid and abet drug trafficking crimes.  Wallin is set to be sentenced on February 12, 2019, McCollough is set to be sentenced on February 25, 2019, and Landon is set to be sentenced on February 26, 2019.  Judge Winmill is the sentencing judge for all defendants.

According to court records, Thompson joined in a conspiracy to assist what he believed to be a large-scale drug organization.  The drug dealers he was working for, however, were undercover FBI agents.  Thompson admitted to carrying a handgun while conducting surveillance of what appeared to be a drug transaction on behalf of the undercover FBI agents.  Thompson also admitted to carrying a handgun while he provided security and assisted in weighing 6 kilograms of cocaine.

No drugs were in the sole possession of the defendants, and no drugs or other contraband were brought into any IDOC facility as part of these operations.

Each count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, is punishable by at least five years imprisonment up to life, a maximum fine of $250,000, and at least five years of supervised release.

In addition to the FBI, the Boise Police Department, the Meridian Police Department, IDOC’s Special Investigations Unit, and the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office participated in the investigation.

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BOISE - Former Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) correctional officer Richard McCollough, 37, of Boise, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced.  McCollough pleaded guilty in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Candy W. Dale pursuant to a written plea agreement filed with the Court.

McCollough was one of four IDOC correctional officers charged with drug trafficking and related crimes stemming from an investigation initiated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at IDOC’s request to address concerns of corruption among IDOC correctional officers.  For his two guilty pleas, McCollough faces at least 30 years in prison up to life.  His sentencing is set for February 25, 2019.

McCollough is the third defendant to plead guilty.  Previously, co-defendants Robert Wallin, 36, and Timothy Landon, 36, both of Boise, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to aid and abet drug trafficking crimes.  Wallin will be sentenced on February 12, 2019.  Landon will be sentenced on February 26, 2019.

The fourth defendant, Erik Thompson, 38, of Star, Idaho, is scheduled for trial on February 11, 2019.  Thompson is charged with conspiracy to aid and abet drug trafficking crimes, distribution of cocaine, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of those drug trafficking offenses.

According to court records, McCollough joined in a conspiracy to assist what he believed to be a large-scale drug organization.  The drug dealers he was working for, however, were undercover FBI agents.  McCollough admitted to carrying a handgun while he provided security and assisted in weighing 6 kilograms of cocaine during the sting operation.  McCollough also admitted to carrying a handgun on a separate occasion while delivering 8.6 kilograms of cocaine to an undercover officer as part of the sting operation.

No drugs were in the sole possession of the defendants, and no drugs or other contraband were brought into any IDOC facility as part of these operations.

In addition to the FBI, the Boise Police Department, the Meridian Police Department, IDOC’s Special Investigations Unit, and the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office participated in the investigation.

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