A former federal prison corrections officer in Michigan has pleaded guilty to having sex with an inmate and smuggling contraband to him.
Cara Wozniak, 33, entered the plea to one count of sexual contact with a ward and one count of providing contraband in prison at the Milan Federal Correctional Institution, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan said.
Wozniak began working at FCI Milan in November 2022, according to a plea agreement filed Thursday with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan Southern Division.
Federal laws and prison rules, including corrections officer training material, prohibit any kind of sexual interaction between guards and inmates. Smuggling contraband, which could be any prohibited materials that could cause injury or adversely affect security, is also not allowed.
Wozniak had intercourse with an incarcerated man under her custody and control on Sept. 26 and Oct. 29, 2023, according to the plea agreement. She also bought loose tobacco pouches for him to sell in prison, which he offered to pay her for, officials said.
Wozniak also bought and smuggled a gold necklace for the man in September 2023, according to investigators.
Officials filed an indictment against Wozniak on May 28 ahead of her initial appearance in court in June, online court records show. Her plea agreement filed Thursday came the same day as the plea hearing.
“Corrections officers are entrusted with the critical responsibility of managing the security of our federal prisons,” U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison said in a statement. “Ms. Wozniak’s conduct in this case was an abuse of that trust and created a security risk for everyone at the institution.”
Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 5 before U.S. District Judge Jonathan Grey. She faces a statutory maximum term of 15 years for having sexual contact with a ward and six months for bringing contraband to the prison.
Her attorney, Michael Rataj, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
Wozniak’s guilty plea comes after officials announced an employee at the Wayne County Juvenile Detention Facility will stand trial for allegedly sexually assaulting two teenage boys incarcerated there.
There have been at least four public incidents of sexual assault at the Wayne County facility in just over a year, The Detroit News reported.
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