COLUMBIA, S.C. — Twenty-one more people have been indicted in 'Cash Cow,' the ongoing probe to find out how illegal items are being smuggled into South Carolina prisons.
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the new charges Friday afternoon. It involves conspiracies to smuggle large amounts of contraband into South Carolina prisons.
According to the indictments, the contraband includes pounds of loose cigarette tobacco, cell phones and cell phone accessories, marijuana, alcoholic beverages and other types of illegal drugs. It's an investigation that was first announced last November.
Wilson said there were four alleged methods for how this contraband got inside of the prisons. Those methods are throw overs, smuggling through dairy facilities at Wateree Correctional Institution in Sumter County, smuggling through bread runs to a bakery in Columbia, and smuggling through state house inmate work crews.
Wilson said people are endangering lives when they do this.
"What amazes me is how intelligent they are and if they had used that intelligence for something else earlier in their life they wouldn't be in this position," Wilson said. "They are very creative, but they are equally are even more dangerous."
Bryan Stirling the Director of the South Carolina Department of Correction said bringing contraband into one of their prisons is unacceptable.
"Nothing is more disappointing to law enforcement than one of your own crosses the line," Stirling said.
Wilson said this makes some of the most dangerous people in our communities able to continue their criminal activity behind bars.
"I have a message for those seeking to support the smuggling of contraband into our prison systems, if you do this then you will be joining your friends in prison," Wilson said. "This contraband black market not only fuels and feeds gang violence in the prison system it also fuels and feeds gang violence outside the prison system."
Stirling is hopeful to continue working with law makers to be able to jam cell phones.
"This scam we have here, these indictments would not of been possible without cell phones," Stirling said. "They arranged the logistics and payments, it's time, it's passed time to be able to jam cell phones."
The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information regarding contraband in SCDC should contact SLED or the Attorney General's Office.