BUCKINGHAM COUNTY, Va. — A 24-year-old Virginia man was sentenced on Tuesday, February 11, for his involvement in a drug distribution and money laundering operation that spanned across two states. Kenneth J. Owens, a former correctional officer at Buckingham County Correctional Facility, was sentenced to 21 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Owens had pleaded guilty in September to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute MDMA and buprenorphine, along with two counts of conspiracy to launder money. The charges stemmed from his participation in a scheme to smuggle drugs into the prison, which also involved co-conspirators from both Virginia and Massachusetts.
Between December 2019 and January 2020, Owens worked with Sathra Em, a Lowell, Massachusetts, resident, and Michael Mao, an inmate at the Buckingham County Correctional Facility, to facilitate the flow of controlled substances into the prison. The drugs included MDMA, Suboxone in tablet form, and generic Suboxone sublingual films. Owens, who was employed as a correctional officer at the time, received bribes in exchange for smuggling the drugs into the facility.
Em, who was responsible for mailing the drugs to Owens’ residence, paid him $1,600 in bribes to deliver the contraband to Mao, who was distributing the drugs to other inmates. In addition, Em was found to have used a Cash App account to pay the bribes to Owens. Owens then transferred the funds to his personal bank account, often withdrawing them within minutes.
Both Em and Mao had previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy. Em was sentenced to just under two years in prison, with three years of supervised release, in August 2024. Mao, who had a more direct role in distributing drugs within the facility, received a much longer sentence of 10 years and one month in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, in November 2024.
The case highlights the complex and growing issue of drug trafficking within correctional facilities, with digital payment platforms like Cash App playing a role in facilitating such illicit activities. It also serves as a reminder of the significant risks posed by individuals in positions of trust within the prison system, as Owens exploited his position as a correctional officer to further the conspiracy.
Owens’ sentence is part of ongoing efforts by law enforcement to crack down on illegal drug distribution operations within the prison system, as well as the money laundering that often accompanies these crimes.
