BEAUMONT, Texas – A former correctional officer has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after admitting to trafficking methamphetamine connected to a federal prison in Southeast Texas, prosecutors said.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas, 22-year-old Martel Devante Gilliam of Beaumont pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
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U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone sentenced Gilliam to 120 months in federal prison on March 11, 2026.
Prosecutors said Gilliam was working as a correctional officer at the Federal Correctional Complex Beaumont when investigators identified him in March 2024 as a suspected source of illegal drugs being brought into the prison.
On March 8, 2024, Gilliam reported to work and a narcotics detection canine alerted officers to the presence of drugs in his vehicle during an open-air sniff, according to court records.
Authorities searched the vehicle and found approximately:
- 125 grams of methamphetamine
- 28 grams of cocaine
- 459 grams of synthetic marijuana
- Vacuum-sealed packages of tobacco and marijuana
- $5,700 in cash
- A pistol
The case was investigated as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice aimed at combating drug trafficking, transnational criminal organizations and violent crime.