FRESNO - On Tuesday, a federal jury convicted David G. Bruce II, 32, of Merced, with conspiring to provide inmates with prohibited objects; attempting to possess marijuana and heroin with the intent to distribute; and taking a bribe as a public official, Special Agent in Charge James K. Cheng and U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
“The integrity and honesty of correctional officers are critical to the safety of our federal prisons. Our office strives to ensure that individuals who fail to uphold those values, like David Bruce, will be held accountable for their actions,” said James K. Cheng, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General’s Los Angeles Field Office.
According to court documents, Bruce was employed as a cook foreman at the United States penitentiary in Atwater (USP Atwater). Between May and December 2015, Bruce conspired with inmates and individuals outside the prison to introduce prohibited items, including marijuana and heroin, into USP Atwater and received at least $1,580 as payment. On December 15, 2015, Bruce drove to meet an individual he believed would give him drugs to be smuggled into the prison, but was instead met by federal agents.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vincenza Rabenn and Brian Delaney prosecuted the case.
Bruce faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine for possessing a controlled substance with intent to distribute. The maximum statutory penalty for conspiring to commit an offense against the United States is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum statutory penalty for a public official taking a bribe is 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
