Former Arkansas officer pleads guilty to bribery

A former officer at the federal correctional complex in Forrest City pleaded guilty Friday to a bribery charge, admitting he accepted money from inmates in exchange for smuggling contraband into the prison.

Josue Duane Garza of Little Rock entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker, admitting that he accepted more than $40,000 in bribes from inmates between October 2017 and July 2018.

Baker accepted Garza's guilty plea, in which he waived having his case presented to a federal grand jury, and will schedule his sentencing after a pre-sentence report has been prepared.

Court documents say Garza will be required to forfeit to the government "all property, real or personal, which constitutes or is derived from proceeds traceable to the offense."

Garza is represented by attorney Michael Kaiser of the James Law Firm in Little Rock. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benecia Moore.

Metro on 08/24/2019

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