Devens prison employee charged with accepting money from wealthy inmate

DEVENS — A correctional counselor for the Bureau of Prisons assigned to Federal Medical Center Devens has been charged with accepting payments from a high net-worth inmate in his care.

Authorities allege that William S. Tidwell, 49, of Keene, New Hampshire, received a stream of benefits under the direction of the unnamed inmate, according to a news release from the office of Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy.

Tidwell was charged in federal court in Boston with receipt of payments by a public official in violation of their official duties, making false statements to a bank and identity theft.

He is accused of lying to a bank about a loan he received from the inmate’s business associate and forging the associate’s signature to support the false claim, according to Levy's office.

Tidwell has been employed by the Bureau of Prisons since 2000 and worked at FMC Devens since 2008, according to the news release.

Tidwell began working as a correctional counselor at FMC Devens in 2014. He is responsible for monitoring inmate work assignments, assigning inmate housing assignments, arranging legal calls and coordinating prison visits.

Prison employees may not receive any payments, gifts or personal favors from inmates and they cannot give preferential treatment to any inmate in the performance of their duties. They also cannot have outside employment that conflicts with their duties.

In November 2018, the inmate allegedly directed a business associate to wire $25,000 to a member of Tidwell’s family.

In 2019, Tidwell and the inmate are alleged to have entered into an agreement where the inmate would direct thousands of dollars to Tidwell as part of a property management agreement. Between 2019 and 2020, Tidwell allegedly received over $65,000 in benefits as part of the property management agreement.

In 2020, Tidwell is alleged to have received a $50,000 loan from the inmate's business associate in order to finance the purchase of a home.

Levy's office says Tidwell is also alleged to have made multiple false statements and forged documents to the bank in connection with the loan application, saying that the $50,000 was a gift from his employer.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: William Tidwell accused of accepting money from inmate at Devens