A 50-year-old St. Cloud correctional officer has been sentenced to federal prison for accepting bribes, according to the US Attorney’s Office.
Karen Torres, a former public official who worked as a correctional officer for the US Department of Justice in Sumter County’s Coleman Federal Correctional Complex, was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison by United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber. Torres’ penalty includes forfeiting $43,550 to the United States, which reflects the proceeds of her criminal offense. She pleaded guilty on February 4, 2026, according to United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
Court papers show that between May 2022 and March 3, 2025, Torres brought contraband into FCC Coleman in exchange for $43,550 in bribery from convicts. The US Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, and Drug Enforcement Administration all conducted investigations into the case. Hannah Nowalk Watson, an assistant US attorney, prosecuted the case.
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