Source: Office of United States Attorneys
DETROIT – A federal grand returned an indictment yesterday charging a Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Milan corrections officer with having sex with an inmate and smuggling contraband into the prison, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
Ison was joined in the announcement by William J. Hannah, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Midwest Region.
According to the indictment, on September 26, 2023, Cara Wozniak, 33, of Milan, Michigan, while serving as a corrections officer, engaged in sexual intercourse with an inmate who was under her custodial authority at FCI Milan. Wozniak was also charged with providing contraband to an inmate from April through November of 2023.
Federal law and prison rules prohibit all sexual interaction between staff members and inmates, as well as the introduction or possession of contraband in prison. Contraband is defined as prohibited materials which can reasonably be expected to cause physical injury or adversely affect the security, safety, or good order of the institution.
Wozniak is charged with committing a sex act with a ward which carries a maximum sentence of up to 15 years’ imprisonment, and a fine of up to $250,000. Wozniak is also charged with the misdemeanor offense of providing contraband in prison, which carries a sentence of up to six months in prison.
United States Attorney Ison said, “Every day, federal corrections officers display uncompromising integrity in carrying out their duties and maintaining the safety and security of our federal prisons. Unfortunately, the allegations in today’s indictment reflect a failure on the part of one corrections officer to maintain that standard. Sexual misconduct by prison officials compromises the safety and security of the whole institution and is completely unacceptable at Milan or any other correctional facility.”
“We trust correctional officers to act with integrity. Instead, Wozniak allegedly abused her authority, sexually abused an inmate, and smuggled contraband into the prison,” said William J. Hannah, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Midwest Region.
The investigation of these cases was conducted by the Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eaton P. Brown.
An indictment is only a charging document and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.