A former Alaska correctional officer smuggled drugs and cellphones into the prison where she worked in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars, according to federal charges filed Monday.
Angela Lincoln, 43, faces one criminal count each of conspiracy and bribery.
Lincoln worked as a correctional officer at Goose Creek Correctional Center, a medium-security facility southwest of Wasilla on Point McKenzie, from 2014 to 2020. But Alaska Police Standards Council records show she agreed to give up her officer certification in December of 2020.
That could be due to investigators discovering the conspiracy in which federal prosecutors now allege Lincoln engaged.
Here’s how the charges say the operation worked:
Lincoln smuggled Suboxone strips and burner cellphones, used by drug dealers in the prison, for a man named in the charges only as “Inmate 1.”
Inmate 1 was serving a 100-year sentence for two first-degree murder convictions. He and a man named as “Inmate 2” were part of a religious organization that allowed them to collect money from other inmates for “feasts” and other religious programming, and inmates’ family members or other associates could also contribute money to their commissary accounts.
Someone working with Inmate 1 would deliver drugs, cellphones and cash to Lincoln at her home. She would smuggle the contraband into Goose Creek and keep the money and sometimes also received wire transfers or money orders.
Inmates would pay for the drugs and phones by having their associates outside of prison deliver money to members of Inmate 1’s non-incarcerated network, which he called “grinders.” The grinders were instructed to tell law enforcement the money was going toward religious events or commissary accounts.
According to the charges, Lincoln was paid nearly $30,000 in total.
A judge in the case has issued a summons for Lincoln to appear in court for a detention hearing Nov. 23.
The lawyer assigned to Lincoln’s case as a public defender did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
Casey Grove is host of Alaska News Nightly, a general assignment reporter and an editor at Alaska Public Media. Reach him atcgrove@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Caseyhere.
