LEXINGTON, Ky. — A former Federal Medical Center Lexington employee pleaded guilty Monday to a federal bribery charge, admitting she accepted $18,602 to smuggle tobacco and synthetic marijuana into the prison in 2023 and 2024, according to a plea agreement filed Monday in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
A. Jade Howard, who also used the names Ashley Howard and Ashley Amber Howard, acknowledged she was a Bureau of Prisons employee at FMC Lexington and that she took payments sent through mobile banking apps to bring contraband to an inmate, the filing says. Howard worked first as a correctional officer and later as a materials handler, roles that carried custodial authority over inmates.
Howard admitted she began by smuggling tobacco after being approached in spring 2023. In August and again in September 2024, she smuggled two batches of 50 sheets of paper that she believed were laced with synthetic marijuana. Staff uncovered and confiscated remaining sheets on Sept. 25, 2024; lab tests later found the sheets were coated with 5F-ADB, a Schedule I synthetic cannabinoid, according to the plea agreement.
Prosecutors charged Howard under the federal bribery statute for public officials, which makes it a crime to accept something of value in exchange for being influenced in one’s official duties. The plea agreement outlines those elements and states Howard acted “corruptly.”
As part of the deal, Howard agreed to a money judgment forfeiting $18,602—the amount she admits receiving—and to complete a full financial disclosure. The government also notes there are no identified victims or restitution in the case.
The bribery count carries a maximum of 15 years in prison, a fine up to $250,000 or up to three times the value received, three years of supervised release, and potential disqualification from holding federal office. Sentencing guidelines in the agreement contemplate enhancements for multiple bribes, more than $15,000 in payments, and occupying a “sensitive position,” with Howard reserving the right to dispute the last enhancement.
Court records show Howard waived indictment and pleaded guilty to the single count on Oct. 6 before Magistrate Judge Matthew A. Stinnett. A sentencing hearing is set for Jan. 26, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Karen K. Caldwell, according to the docket.
Howard remains on bond pending sentencing, under conditions set by the court.