Prosecutors recommend prison for Jackson County jail officer who smuggled drugs to inmates
Prosecutors are recommending that a Jackson County corrections officer who admitted he bought drugs from an undercover cop and brought contraband into the jail on other occasions should spend 16 months in federal prison.
Daniel Coach, 27, pleaded guilty in December to a single felony count of conspiracy from a federal indictment handed down in March 2021. In a sentencing memorandum filed Tuesday in the Western District of Missouri, prosecutors said Coach committed “an extremely serious offense” that endangered the lives of inmates.
Prosecutors acknowledged that Coach lacked a criminal history, which is one factor used in determining how long someone should spend in prison. But they concluded he should be held to a higher standard because of the nature of the offense, which involved a criminal conspiracy inside the jail.
“This type of serious misconduct by a law enforcement employee undermines the integrity of law enforcement officers and agencies entrusted to ensure the health and safety of the community,” prosecutors wrote in the memo. “As a result, Coach should be held to a high standard at sentencing.”
The investigation began after the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office received a report from a person in jail saying Coach was being paid to bring narcotics inside. The person said Coach generally smuggled Percocet, K2, ecstasy and cocaine inside for inmates to purchase, according to court records.
On March 3, 2021, an FBI agent and undercover Kansas City police officers set up a drug buy with Coach. An undercover KCPD officer spoke to him over the phone, according to court records, and agreed to give Coach six OxyContin pills plus $100 for bringing the drugs to an inmate.
During the drug buy, Coach allegedly described to the undercover cop, who wore a wire, how he planned to get the drugs past checkpoints within the jail.
Coach was fired from his job as a corrections officer. Court records show he has been free on bond pending the outcome in the case.
In addition to prison time, prosecutors recommend Coach pay a $3,631 fine and spend three years on supervised release. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 12.
