A former correctional officer from Virginia has admitted to his involvement in a drug smuggling operation inside a state prison. Kenneth J. Owen, age 24, pled guilty to charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including MDMA and buprenorphine, as well as to money laundering conspiracies.
Owen's entanglement with the law began when he agreed to act as a conduit for drugs into the Buckingham Correctional Center in Dillwyn, Va., facilitated by Sathtra Em, a Lowell resident, and Michael Mao, then an inmate at the facility. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Em would mail drugs to Owen, which he would then deliver to Mao inside the prison.
The federal investigation revealed that Owen received around $1,600 in bribes for his role in the smuggling operation. These transactions were conducted using Cash App accounts, with Owen operating under the alias "Carlos." Further details, provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office, indicate that these ill-gotten funds were promptly transferred from the Cash App account to Owen's bank account.
Co-conspirators Em and, Mao have also faced justice for their actions. Em was sentenced this past August to 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Mao is awaiting sentencing, slated for November 18, 2024. Owen is scheduled to receive his sentence on December 10, 2024, and could face up to 20 years behind bars for the drug distribution charges, and an additional 20 years for the money laundering charges.
The successful apprehension and prosecution of the individuals involved in this case was a combined effort among multiple agencies. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations, and the Virginia Department of Corrections all played integral roles. This case falls under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) umbrella, which focuses on dismantling high-level criminal enterprises that pose a threat to national security. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fred M. Wyshak, III and Alexandra Amhrein are credited with prosecuting the case.
