ATLANTA — A former federal correctional officer at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta was found guilty last week in a smuggling and bribery case in which he’d been accused of aiding an elaborate scheme to build a mail-room of sorts for contraband drop-offs.
According to the government, Patrick Shackelford was a correctional officer and the plumbing supervisor at USP-Atlanta. He “managed a crew of inmate plumbers” as part of his role.
Using this position, Shackelford helped an inmate identified as James Hughes and another inmate to “(use) a sledgehammer and power drill to create large passageways” into what was described as a hidden room and “voided area” that was next to the prison visitation area…