Federal prison staffer in Colorado charged with taking bribes and bringing in contraband
A prison staff member at Federal Correctional Institute Florence -- in Fremont County -- has been arrested and charged with taking bribes and bringing contraband to inmates.
Gage Zupancic, 31, of Pueblo, is accused of taking bribes totaling an unknown amount for almost a year between July 2021 and April 2022 and has been charged with bribery. According to a three-page federal indictment, he, "directly and indirectly, did corruptly demand, seek, receive, accept, and agree to receive and accept something of value personally, in return for being induced to do an act in violation of his official duty."
The Department of Justice's Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
A LinkedIn page for Zupancic lists him as a correctional officer but doesn't say how long he's been employed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
FCI Florence is contained within the Federal Correctional Complex, Florence, which has four facilities on-site with different levels of security for its approximately 1,500 inmates. FCI Florence is identified by the Bureau of Prisons as "medium-security," with 1,088 inmates, all of whom are men.
Zupancic has been released on a personal recognizance bond, court records show. As part of the conditions of his release, Zupancic must agree to the following rules, among several others:
- Refrain from committing any crimes;
- Submit to DNA sample collections;
- Submit to supervision by a probation officer out of Colorado Springs;
- Surrender his passport;
- Remain in Colorado;
- Avoid contact with any witnesses or alleged victims;
- Surrender any guns or other weapons he owns and refrain from possessing any;
- Not use alcohol "excessively;"
- Not use any illegal drugs and submit to drug tests.
Attempts to reach Zupancic by phone were not successful Monday. Court records don't show an attorney representing him.
A spokesman for the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado declined to comment, citing the ongoing nature of the case.
If convicted, he faces a possible sentence of up to 15 years, a fine of up to $250,000 or a combination of both, as well as supervised release for up to three years. He might also be banned from holding any position in the U.S. Government.