Three Philadelphia residents have pleaded guilty to running a contraband supply chain into the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center (PICC) according to a recent release by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Breyanna Cornish, a former PICC correctional officer, and accomplices Jawayne Brown and Ahmad Nasir, also known as Hussain Abdussamad, admitted their roles in the criminal operation that saw the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and other illicit items to inmates within the facility.
The scheme, which unfolded between April and July 2021 involved Cornish sneaking in contraband such as cellphones, chargers, drugs and knives which was then sold by Nasir to other inmates within the prison, Brown assisted by obtaining and assembling the prohibited goods for Cornish to smuggle and the profits from the scheme were distributed among the conspirators. Notably, upon searching Nasir's cell on July 10, 2021, officials discovered an array of contraband tucked away behind a light fixture, which revealed the scope of their operation and ultimately led to their indictment in August of the following year.
Guilty pleas were entered on a host of charges; Cornish pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, one count of federal program bribery, while her cohorts Brown and Nasir faced additional charges related to drug distribution, with Nasir addressing one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of buprenorphine, among other counts, according to the official statement by the U.S. Attorney's Office. They are awaited sentencing in August, a grave moment where Cornish could see up to 15 years in prison, Brown up to 25, and Nasir potentially 35 years.
These admissions culminate an investigation spearheaded by the FBI, with contributions from the Philadelphia Department of Prisons; Assistant United States Attorneys Meghan Claiborne and Ruth Mandelbaum are noted for their roles in the prosecution of the case.
