Indiana Prison Guard Nabbed for Smuggling Contraband to Inmate

Terre Haute, Indiana: Following her acceptance of cash app bribes and love letters from prisoners to smuggle in Newport cigarettes, a former Indiana prison guard was sentenced to eight months in prison.

The US Department of Justice said on Wednesday that Jordan Kelsheimer, a 25-year-old resident of Blanford, was sentenced to prison this week after entering a guilty plea to taking bribes as a public officer.

Court records state that Kelsheimer began working as a prison officer for the Federal Bureau of Prisons in 2019. When the incidents happened in 2022, she was stationed at a prison facility in Terre Haute, Indiana.

According to investigators, Kelsheimer sneaked tobacco products that were prohibited into federal institutions for the offenders to use for weeks.

Court documents state that on July 17, 2022, staff discovered eight packs of Newport cigarettes and a stack of love letters sent by an inmate to Kelsheimer. On July 18, 2022, Kelsheimer acknowledged in an interview that she had been bringing in "Newport cigarettes" and receiving "$400 per carton" via CashApp from an inmate's relative.

Kelsheimer's phone's electronic records revealed that she had received 15 separate payments totaling $5,140.

Several prisoners came forward when authorities looked into Kelsheimer's activities, claiming that she had had "intimate contact" with the prisoner to whom she had been sneaking smokes. Others claimed that the prisoner was frequently spotted close to Kelsheimer's office, that they had shared a kiss, and that they had even engaged in "more intimate" contact once.

Following her guilty plea, Kelsheimer was now given an eight-month sentence to serve in federal prison. She will be subject to a two-year probationary period and a $500 fine upon her release.

If you or a loved one are accused of smuggling illegal items into a prison or jail in Indiana, please exercise your right to remain silent and don't make a statement. Aks for an attorney and call our office for a free consultation! Call 317-667-0718!