BOP Correctional Officer Indicted for Bribery, Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute, and Money Laundering

On July 28, 2026, a BOP Correctional Officer assigned to the Federal Correctional Institution Bennettsville (FCI Bennettsville), in South Carolina, was indicted by a federal grand jury for one count of bribery, one count of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and one count of money laundering. Joseph Templeton was indicted in the District of South Carolina. According to the indictment, from on or about August 2025 through December 2025, Templeton sought more than $60,000 in bribery payments from inmates at FCI Bennettsville to smuggle contraband into FCI Bennettsville. Templeton further engaged in money laundering when he received $63,514 in bribery payments, which were designed to conceal or disguise the source of those payments. The investigation is being conducted by OIG’s Charleston Locale.