After a year-long undercover investigation, four Texas parole officers were busted by the FBI at their Houston parole offices. They have been charged with accepting bribes to allow parolees under their supervision to travel to other states where they would traffic in illegal drugs. Apparently the four did not work together and they were not aware of what the others were doing.
Of the three women and one man arrested, all have served more than five years as parole officers. Darlene J. Muhammad, 42, was an eight year veteran. The others arrested were April L. Carson, 35, Crystal M. Bureau, 52, and Ernie O. Rogers, 56. If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison.
Nichelle Derricks, a Dallas area parole officer, was busted and convicted earlier this year for having an improper relationship with one of her parolees and for accepting cash and gifts to look the other way whenever some of her parolees left the state or committed other parole violations. In May she pleaded guilty to wire fraud and is now doing 20 months in a federal prison.
Texas has about 88,000 parolees and 1,500 parole officers to supervise them.
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