FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, April 3, 2023

WASHINGTON –A District of Columbia man pleaded guilty today to bribing a public official to smuggle drugs into the D.C. jail. Andre Gregory, 31, pleaded guilty in United States District Court to one count of bribery.  U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich scheduled a sentencing hearing for June 12, 2023. U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia and FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the Washington Field Office made the announcement.

            According to court documents, in June of 2022, Gregory contacted Keywaune McLeod, 28, via jail telephone. Specifically, Gregory recruited McLeod to act as a conduit outside of D.C. jail to package narcotics and manage payments from the sale of those narcotics from inside the jail. As a part of this conspiracy, McLeod would package and provide drugs to a public official, Beverly Williams, 52, a Correctional Officer working at the jail, who would smuggle them into the facility by concealing them on her body. Once inside the D.C. Jail, Williams would transfer the drugs to Gregory who would then distribute the drugs for a profit. McLeod would accept and manage the proceeds from such distribution using CashApp and make bribe payments to the Williams for the drug smuggling.

            Previously in September and October of 2022, Williams was charged as part of a three-co-defendant complaint, later followed by an indictment. Specifically, McLeod, Williams and Andre Gregory were charged with conspiracy, bribery and smuggling.

            The bribery charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, as well as potential financial penalties. The federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Special Agent in Charge Jacobs commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI and the District of Columbia Department of Corrections Office of Investigative Services.

            This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gauri Gopal and Ahmed Baset with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Lisa Abbe, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Fraud, Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section.