Ex-Richard Donovan Prison Guard Sentenced For Taking Bribes

SAN DIEGO, CA —A former guard at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in Otay Mesa who accepted bribes in exchange for smuggling a gold-and-diamond dental grill into the prison for an inmate was sentenced Thursday to two years in prison.

Benito Jamar Hugie pleaded guilty to accepting cash to smuggle items in and out of the San Diego County prison for inmate Shawn Brown.

According to Hugie's plea agreement, Brown used a contraband cellphone to arrange the purchase of a custom bejeweled dental grill from a Texas-based jeweler.

Hugie brought dental molds into the prison, then brought imprinted dental molds out, which were delivered to the jeweler. Hugie received cash for moving the molds in and out of the prison, as well as for smuggling the completed grill in for Brown, his plea agreement states.

Hugie's defense attorney, Douglas Brown, wrote in a sentencing memorandum that his client has no prior criminal record, served in the military for 10 years and was highly unlikely to re-offend.

"Mr. Hugie has taken a big step backward in his life, becoming too close to some of the inmates he was tasked with monitoring," Brown wrote. "There is a sense they saw him as vulnerable and easy to exploit. That is no excuse, as it was his duty to be an honest correctional officer."

At his sentencing hearing, Hugie said what occurred was "truly idiotic" and said "I've lost so much, be it from family or friends."

U.S. District Judge Cathy Bencivengo said that while the gravity of the offense was undercut by the "ridiculousness of the contraband involved," she said the situation "sets a tone that undermines the entire system."

Shawn Brown was also indicted along with his brothers, Daejohne Hatcher and Demetrius Warsinger, and all three have pleaded guilty.

Court documents state Hatcher and Warsinger delivered payments to Hugie and the jeweler. Brown is slated for sentencing next month, while Hatcher and Warsinger have each been sentenced to credit for time served.

— City News Service