JACKSONVILLE - State and federal authorities announced today that former Florida prison chief James Crosby and one of his top Panhandle aides have agreed to plead guilty to taking about $135,000 in kickbacks from a prison contractor.

At a news conference in the U.S. attorney's office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey also announced state criminal charges against eight other current and former prison employees. Seven of them were charged with grand theft involving theft of recyclable materials from prisons, and one was accused of "acceptance of unauthorized compensation" involving inmate labor and Department of Corrections property.

U.S. Attorney Paul Perez said Crosby and Allen Clark, a former Panhandle regional director, had entered into a plea agreement with the federal government. He said they could face up to 10 years in prison and fines of $250,000 but are cooperating in a continuing investigation.

Perez and Nestor Duarte, special agent in charge of the FBI for Jacksonville, said that Crosby and Clark took kickbacks totaling $1,000 to $12,000 per month from a subcontactor of Keefe Commissary Network of St. Louis. Crosby and Clark approached Keefe about its using a Gainesville friend of theirs to handle prison concessions. The unidentified subcontractor allegedly promised Clark and Crosby 40 percent of the $1.5 million he stood to make.

No company officials were named in the charges.

In addition to the federal charges against Crosby and Clark, the FDLE filed charges against three current Department of Corrections employees and five former DOC workers.

Lamar Edward Griffis, 49, was charged with accepting unauthorized compensation. Charged with grand theft were Richard Allen Frye Jr., 37; Paul Lamar Miller, 33; Theodore Foray Jr., 46; Bryan Kim Griffis, 36; Christopher Paul Taylor, 34; Bobbie Dewane Ruise, 41; and Stephen Randall Parker, 32.

Taylor, Ruise and Parker are currently DOC officers. The other five are former employees.

Perez said Clark is scheduled to be arraigned and enter a plea at 4 p.m. Thursday in Jacksonville. Crosby is scheduled to be arraigned and enter his plea at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday in Jacksonville. Both are expected to plead guilty at that time.

He said that the charges against Crosby, Clark and the other eight bring to 21 the number of current or former employees charged in an 18-month investigation.