Correctional officer Paul Betancourt, 38, and his wife, 49-year-old Silvia Betancourt, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to one count of conspiracy for smuggling controlled substances to an inmate in Lompoc Federal Correction Complex.
Over the course of five months — from May to September of 2023 — the Lompoc couple acted as drug mules, running contraband from outside sources to the federal inmate, according to a spokesperson with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
Silvia Betancourt connected with the inmate’s intermediaries, collecting contraband and payment, which she then passed along to her husband, and then to the inmate. During this time, the couple received a total of $6,650 via Cash App (in payments ranging from $100 to $1,500) in exchange for providing prohibited materials, including vape pens and the controlled substance suboxone, used for treating opioid addiction.
The couple admitted to meeting with or receiving payment from the inmate or one of their intermediaries a total of 13 times.
Paul Betancourt was arrested on May 28 and Silvia on June 1 and charged by the Central District of California.
The Bureau of Prisons, which runs the Lompoc complex, has indefinitely suspended Paul Betancourt. The couple are set to appear in court for sentencing hearings on January 27, 2027, where they face a sentence of up to five years in federal prison.
