Two Former Prison Guards Sentenced to 30 Months for Smuggling Contraband
Robert Cochran and Tejuana Dillard each received 30-month federal prison sentences for smuggling contraband into the Forrest City Federal Correctional Complex.
2 reports on this incident · first at Aug 22, 2026, 9:50 p.m. ET
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Earlier reports
Aug 22, 2026, 9:50 p.m. ETFirst report
Two Former Prison Guards Sentenced to 30 Months for Smuggling Contraband
Two former correctional officers at the Forrest City Federal Correctional Complex in Arkansas were each sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for smuggling contraband into the facility, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas announced on August 21, 2026.
Robert Cochran, 37, of Forrest City, pleaded guilty in March 2026 to bribery of a public official. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Cochran received approximately $58,775 from inmates' friends and family to bring items such as rolling papers, tobacco, Gucci sunglasses, and over-the-counter drugs into the prison. He was captured on video in February 2023 leaving bags of contraband in an office for an inmate to retrieve.
Tejuana Dillard, 42, of Wynne, pleaded guilty in March 2026 to making false statements to federal agents. The investigation found that Dillard smuggled contraband cigarettes into the prison throughout 2020, receiving $91,788 in total. She initially told agents she had only done so "a couple of times," but later admitted the statements were false.
Both sentences were handed down on August 19, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Brian S. Miller. The cases were investigated by the Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Peters.
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- Version 123 Aug 2026, 01:52current
First published.
- Version 123 Aug 2026, 01:50current
First published.
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