BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) – A federal grand jury has indicted an Ascutney man on charges that he paid a guard at the Addison County Jail to allow a woman to come to the jail after visiting hours for sex.

Frank Sargent faces three counts of bribery and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. The U.S. attorney’s office for Vermont said the incidents occurred while he was at the Addison County Jail, which has a contract to house federal prisoners, while awaiting sentencing on a bankruptcy fraud conviction.

Authorities said Sargent was attempting to influence the woman, in hopes she would testify favorably to him at his upcoming sentencing hearing. He ended up being sentenced on the bankruptcy fraud charge to time served while his case was pending.

The indictment alleges Sargent told the woman to bring $300 to each of their meetings so he could pay the guard.

Court documents did not identify the guard or the woman, but said both are under investigation and charges against them are possible.

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