Today, U.S. Magistrate Judge David Fannin unsealed an information charging two prison guards with smuggling cell phones and other contraband to a Reeves County Detention Center (RCDC) inmate, announced U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff and Department of Justice Office of Inspector General (DOJ-OIG) Special Agent in Charge Cloey Pierce, Houston Division.
The information unsealed today charges El Paso residents Eduardo Garcia, age 19, and Armando Valdivia, age 22, with one count of providing contraband in prison. The information alleges that from August 2020 to September 2020, the RCDC guards smuggled multiple cell phones to an inmate inside the prison facility.
The defendants, who were arrested yesterday by DOJ-OIG agents, face up to one year in federal prison and a maximum $100,000 fine upon conviction. During the initial appearance today, Judge Fannin set a personal recognizance bond for Garcia. Garcia is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on March 24, 2021. Valdivia remains in custody and is scheduled for a detention and preliminary hearing on March 22, 2021.
DOJ-OIG investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Eaton is prosecuting this case.
An information is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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| Component | USAO - Texas, Western; |
| OIG | Department of Justice OIG |