A federal judge sentenced Leticia Garza to 13 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. Garza was the supervisor of laundry, property, and supply at Val Verde Correctional Facility, which is operated by private prison corporation GEO Group.
The sentence could have been up to 15 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
The Val Verde Correctional Facility is a Criminal Alien Requirement prison, which is under contract with the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to detain non-U.S. citizens. It has a history of prisoner assault and contraband smuggling. Since it is contracted with the BOP, the Department of Justice's decision to phase out private prisons will affect this facility.