News Releases

Custody officer charged with smuggling contraband into Krome service processing center

MIAMI - R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Donald J. Balberchak, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, and Special Agent in Charge Steven J. Mocsary, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Professional Responsibility, announce that defendant Pierre Saget, a contract employee hired as a custody officer and assigned to the Krome Service Processing Center (Krome), was charged in a criminal complaint with illegally smuggling contraband, including cell phones, batteries and purported marijuana into Krome, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1791.

Today's charges stem from a joint undercover investigation conducted by the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General and ICE Office of Professional Responsibility. According to the Complaint, in exchange for cash payments, Saget agreed to smuggle and actually smuggled several items into Krome for the benefit of detainees. These items included a cell phone, batteries and what the defendant believed to be marijuana.

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and fines of up to $250,000.

Acosta commended the efforts of the special agents from the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General and ICE, Office of Professional Responsibility, for their work on this investigation. Acosta also thanked the ICE Office of Detention and Removal for their assistance to the investigators in this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Allyson Fritz.