Special to The News

BEAUMONT — A 33-year-old Beaumont woman has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown said Wednesday.

Ashley Haley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith F. Giblin.

According to information presented in court, Haley, a parole officer with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Beaumont, had job duties that included supervising parolees who were released from prison. Mandatory conditions of parole for parolees include not using any illegal narcotics, not violating any laws,

and submitting to random urinalyses.

An issued statement from Brown’s office said Haley had access to confidential lists of parolees who would be subject to random urinalyses and provided a parolee the confidential urinalyses lists.

In conducting samples for the random urinalyses, Haley also allowed persons other than parolees to submit urine samples for testing. In exchange, Haley received monthly cash payments and other items, such as automobile tires, from parolees.

“We place special trust in parole officers and it weakens the entire criminal justice system when one is corrupt,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown. “We will prosecute any public official who abuses that trust placed in them.”

Under federal statutes, Haley faces up to 20 years in federal prison at sentencing.

A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

This case is being investigated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice-OIG,

Beaumont Police Department, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Christopher T. Rapp is the prosecutor.