South Carolina Prison Guard Supervisor Charged With Taking Over $219,000 in Bribes to Smuggle Cellphones
A former guard captain at South Carolina’s Broad River Correctional Institution is headed to trial after she was indicted on April 2, 2024, on charges of taking at least $219,360 in bribes over five years to smuggle 173 contraband cellphones to prisoners. Cpt. Christine M. Livingston, 46, was charged in federal court for the District of South Carolina with bribery, conspiracy, honest services wire fraud, and money laundering.
Prisoner Jerrell “Hell Rell” Reaves, 33, was also indicted in the scheme for allegedly furnishing the guard at least $42,640 of the bribes she was paid. He is serving a 15-year sentence for voluntary manslaughter in the fatal 2015 shooting of John Floyd, as the victim sat in a car parked outside a Marion convenience store.
Livingston, also known as “Hell Rell’s Queen” for an alleged romantic relationship with Reaves, had a 16-year career with the state’s Department of Corrections, the last five years of which she was promoted to captain and helmed security at the lockup. In addition to nearly 15 dozen cellphones, she allegedly abused her position to smuggle headphones, sim cards and chargers into the prison. The guard ordered the contraband from Amazon and made payment from 14 different Cash App accounts “operated primarily under pseudonyms,” the indictment read. Livingston resigned in November 2021 during DOC’s investigation into the accusations against her. Before that, she earned $56,797 annually.
Noting that DOC regulations prohibit guards like Livingston from maintaining business, romantic or professional relationships with prisoners, U.S. Attorney Elliott Daniels said: “She violated all these.” He added that five prisoners were ready to testify against Livingston, who was also in a prison gang and “would either allow or direct violence against inmates” to prevent them from reporting her involvement in the smuggling scheme. The guard was jailed but freed on $25,000 bond. If convicted, both she and Reaves face up to 20 years in prison and fines up to $250,000. See: United States v. Livingston, USDC (D.S.C.), Case No. 3:24-cr-00252.
Additional sources: The State, WCBD
As a digital subscriber to Prison Legal News, you can access full text and downloads for this and other premium content.
Already a subscriber? Login