A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia indicted Patrick Shackelford, a correctional officer assigned to the United States Penitentiary in Atlanta, on charges of bribery of a federal official and conspiracy to smuggle narcotics into a federal prison [1]. The case proceeded to trial before U.S. District Judge William M. Ray, II, in Atlanta [1].
On April 2, 2026, a federal jury convicted Shackelford on both counts [1]. Evidence at trial established that Shackelford accepted bribes from inmates and, in exchange, conspired with those inmates to introduce methamphetamine and other contraband into USP-Atlanta through a concealed opening in the facility's visitation area [1]. Upon return of the verdict, the court remanded Shackelford to federal custody immediately [1].
Shackelford faces a mandatory minimum of ten years in federal prison without the possibility of parole [1]. Judge Ray scheduled sentencing for July 20, 2026 [1]. No post-trial motions are reported in available sources.