The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office charged a detention officer and three inmates on Wednesday in connection with a contraband-smuggling investigation at the Rice Street jail, the office said in a statement.
The detention officer, whose name was not immediately released, is accused of bringing tobacco, Suboxone strips, and cell phones into the facility over a period of several months. The three inmates face charges including possession of contraband and conspiracy.
“Our detention officers have a sacred duty to keep the people in our custody — and the public — safe. When an officer betrays that duty, we will pursue them with the same seriousness we would pursue any criminal suspect.”
— Sheriff Patrick Labat, in a statement
What the sheriff’s office says happened
According to the sheriff’s office, investigators with the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs Unit began looking into the smuggling allegations in June, after several inmate phone calls referenced contraband moving through the jail.
Investigators say the detention officer smuggled the items into the facility during routine shifts and passed them to specific inmates in exchange for cash payments, which were made through CashApp and other digital-payment apps. The total value of the smuggled goods is estimated at several thousand dollars, the sheriff’s office said.
The investigation culminated in search warrants executed on Wednesday morning at the jail and at the detention officer’s home. The contraband seized during the searches included more than two dozen cell phones, multiple packages of tobacco, and Suboxone strips packaged for individual sale.
What the charges are
The detention officer faces charges including:
- Violation of oath by a public officer
- Contraband (bringing contraband into a state detention facility)
- Theft by taking
The three inmates each face charges of conspiracy and possession of contraband in a detention facility. Two of the inmates were already being held on violent felony charges; the third was being held on a probation violation.
All four are expected to make their first court appearances within the next week.
What’s next
The sheriff’s office said the investigation is ongoing and that more arrests — both inside the jail and in the surrounding community — are possible.
“When you find a supply chain, you work it up and you work it down. We are not finished.”
— Sheriff Patrick Labat, in a statement
The case comes at a difficult moment for the Fulton County Jail, which has been under increased scrutiny after an overnight flooding incident in August that prompted Sheriff Labat to publicly criticize the county’s $12.8 million jail improvement plan. The sheriff’s office said Wednesday’s arrests are unrelated to that earlier incident but reflect what it described as a broader commitment to rooting out corruption inside the facility.
The sheriff’s office is asking anyone with additional information about the smuggling operation to contact the FCSO tip line.
Samuel Okonkwo covers breaking news and public safety across metro Atlanta for WACN 21. Reach him at sokonkwo@wacn21.com.
