Former BOP Federal Prison Industries Factory Manager Pleaded Guilty to False Statements

On December 10, 2020, a retired Factory Manager for the BOP’s Federal Prison Industries, also known as UNICOR, previously assigned to the United States Penitentiary in Marion, Illinois, pleaded guilty to a two-count Information charging him with false statements.  Shawn Whitecotton pleaded guilty in the Southern District of Illinois.  According to the factual statement in support of the guilty plea, on or about February 11, 2016, Whitecotton knowingly made false statements on an Office of Government Ethics (OGE) 450 Annual Financial Disclosure Form, in which he failed to disclose more than $20,000 in payments he received from a UNICOR contractor, PGB Hanger, LLC, and failed to disclose that he held a position in a business entity outside of the United States Government.  The investigation is being conducted jointly by the OIG’s Chicago Field Office, the OIG’s Cyber Investigations Office, and the FBI.