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8 indicted in contraband smuggling operation
Eight people, including corrections officers, have been indicted in a jail smuggling ring that includes bribes.
LECANTO, Fla. - A group of inmates and employees are accused of working together to introduce contraband into the Citrus County Jail.
The backstory:
According to the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, an 18-month investigation began after a federal inmate was found with a banned cell phone.
A federal indictment states that while Justin Harvey was working as a correctional officer, an inmate who was working at the direction of law enforcement approached him and asked him to bring in a contraband cell phone.
According to the document, Harvey agreed and met up with another person to get that cell phone and a $4,000 payment before smuggling it into the detention center and giving it to the inmate.
Another indictment accuses correctional officer Dekarri Nixon of doing the same thing at the request of an inmate who was working at the direction of law enforcement,
Documents state that Courtney Smith, a commissary employee at the Citrus County Detention Center, received at least $5,700 in bribes from federal inmate Joshua Gallimore and his associates. Smith is accused of smuggling a cell phone into the facility in exchange for about $300.
State inmate Ernest Grimaldi is accused of using the facility’s jail call system to direct CCDF nurse Nicole Knecht and former correctional officer Ashley Fraccalvieri to get contraband from outside the CCDF to smuggle it into the facility.
Law enforcement officers said they stopped Knecht with controlled substances after she met with Fraccalvieri.
The officers said they later stopped Fraccalvieri with 400 oxycodone pills that were to be introduced into the facility.
The indictment says that Fraccalvieri got the pills after meeting with April Vanzant.
Courtesy: Citrus County Sheriff's Office
Indictments
- Harvey was charged with acceptance of a bribe by a public official and introduction of contraband into a prison.
- Nixon was charged with accepting a bribe by a public official.
- Smith was charged with conspiracy to bribe a public official, acceptance of a bribe by a public officials and introduction of contraband into a prison system.
- Gallimore was charged with conspiracy to bribe a public official.
- Knecht was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substance, conspiracy to bribe a public official, acceptance of a bribe by a public official
- Fraccalvieri was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substance, conspiracy to bribe a public official, bribery of public officials.
- Vanzant was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substance, conspiracy to bribe a public official and bribery of public officials.
- Grimaldi was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substance and conspiracy to bribe a public official.
What they're saying:
"For those that choose greed and criminality over doing what is right while wearing a uniform, I am coming for you in Citrus County. Tarnishing the reputation of what I consider some of the most noble professions on this planet is unacceptable," said Sheriff David Vincent. "To all my constituents and families of incarcerated citizens in Citrus County, my priority as your Sheriff is the safety of all citizens, whether they are incarcerated or not."
In a press release, CCSO stated, "The Citrus County Sheriff's Office extends its sincere appreciation to all law enforcement partners locally, statewide, and federally whose dedication, expertise, and collaboration were instrumental in bringing this complex investigation to its current stage. Their commitment to justice and public safety continues to strengthen the integrity of our correctional system and our community."
In a statement to FOX 13, CoreCivic shared, "At CoreCivic, the safety of our staff and those individuals entrusted to our care is our top priority. The introduction of contraband in correctional settings is a nationwide challenge that requires close and constant collaboration to prevent. CoreCivic has a zero-tolerance policy for the introduction of contraband into our facilities. We work as one team with our local and state law enforcement agencies on investigative and intervention efforts to remove, detect, and prevent the introduction of contraband at the Citrus County Detention Facility (CCDF).
We’re proud of our dedicated staff members at CCDF who work hard every day to keep those in our care safe and secure. Our staff are trained and held to the highest ethical standards as part of our commitment to our Human Rights Policy. Unfortunately, as is the case in many professions, we sometimes have staff members who do not uphold their commitment to these standards. We expect all our employees to conduct business with professionalism, respect, integrity, duty and excellence. When one of our staff members violates policies, procedures or is found to be involved in criminal activity, we take swift action to address these matters.
None of the individuals are employed at CCDF, nor do they have access to the facility or the individuals under our care."
What's next:
The alleged scheme is still being investigated.
The Source: This article was written with information from the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Citrus County Sheriff's Office.