COLUMBIA, S.C. — Three Alvin S. Glenn detention center officers have been arrested on allegations they helped inmates have access to contraband inside the jail.
The three arrests were announced Monday by the Richland County Sheriff's Department.
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said 30-year-old Casey Weirich is charged with misconduct in office. According to Lott, Weirich was arrested January 25 after deputies say they seized a large amount of contraband from an inmate's cell. The sheriff said Weirich had alerted inmates prior to cell searches in exchange for narcotics.
Officers have also charged 23-year-old Nakia Smith with possessing contraband in a county jail and misconduct in office. Lott said Smith concealed a cell phone and other contraband on her while she was inside the jail with the intention of distributing the items to inmates. Lott said she was arrested on February 1 after investigators received an anonymous tip.
Finally, Lynntesha Barr, 30, is charged with misconduct in office. According to Lott, Barr received more than $15,000 from inmates for distributing contraband inside the facility in the span of eight months. RCSD was notified by jail administration after she was observed on video surveillance handing an item to an inmate. She was arrested on February 3.
It's the latest incident involving the Richland County jail in recent weeks. On Sunday, News19 learned of a death that occurred at the jail on January 17. The detainee, 47-year-old Demond Thompson, was found dead hours after being brought there on a drug possession charge. His cause of death is not yet known.
On January 27, deputies say another inmate, 29-year-old Antonious Randolph, was attacked and killed by other inmates. Lott said their investigation revealed that many of the cell doors at the jail don’t lock, allowing inmates to come and go from their cells.
Lott said a search of the area where attack took place found 17 homemade knives, also known as shanks, as well as cans of bug spray, cell phones, and drugs.
The Richland County government responded last Friday to Randolph's death with a statement that read in part, "as we’ve continually stated, County Administration is taking the necessary steps to improve the facility and reduce detainees’ ability to commit these types of crimes.
"We want to ensure those who are employed at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center and the detainees in our custody know that their safety continues to be of the highest priority. We will continue to work diligently in collaboration with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department to ensure all parties involved are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."