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Former ECI Prison Official Sentenced in Racketeering Scandal

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BALTIMORE (AP) - A former correctional officer has been sentenced to more than three years in prison in connection with a large racketeering case at Maryland's largest prison.

The Daily Times of Salisbury reports that 28-year-old Xavier Holden was sentenced to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on Friday. Holden was one of 80 defendants named in the contraband smuggling scheme at the Eastern Correctional Institution in indictments unsealed in October 2016.

Sixty-six of the 80 defendants have pleaded guilty, including 12 of the 18 correctional officers charged. Holden is the first correctional officer to be sentenced in the case.

Prosecutors said Holden smuggled contraband, including tobacco and K2, into the prison in exchange for bribes from inmates.

Thirty-five inmates and 27 civilians also have been charged.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.