WILMINGTON — Three Delaware Department of Correction officers have been arrested on federal criminal complaints, each charged with allegedly smuggling items into state prisons for bribes, authorities said.

United States District Attorney for Delaware Charles M. Oberly III announced the arrests on Thursday.

The District Attorney said correctional officers Thomas Nadill Boyce Jr. and Paul Hursey, both 46-year-old Dover residents, were each charged separately with the alleged smuggling of drugs and cell phones to inmates, in return for bribes, at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center near Smyrna.

Both defendants made initial appearances Thursday before Chief United States Magistrate Judge Mary Pat Thynge and were released on bail. Each criminal complaint charges a violation of extortion under color of official right, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine, the DA said.

The joint investigation also resulted the filing of a criminal complaint, on Dec. 3 2015, against Correction Officer Lorraine Y. Mosley, who was charged with allegedly smuggling a cell phone into Delores J. Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution in New Castle, to an inmate in return for a bribe.

DOC Commissioner Robert M. Coupe stated, “Unfortunately, contraband, to include drugs and cell phones, is successfully smuggled into DOC facilities and such criminal behavior puts the safety of our staff, inmates, and visitors to our facilities at risk.

“Such actions violate the public’s trust, undermine the credibility of our department, and damage the integrity of our profession. We are grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and the DOC for leading the investigation which resulted in the arrest of these employees.”

The matter resulted from a joint investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and investigators from the Delaware DOC. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Edmond Falgowski, District of Delaware.

The DA said the charges in the criminal complaints are only allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.