SMITH COUNTY, Texas — EDITOR NOTE: Smith County jailor who was charged with prohibited substance within a correctional facility bonded out Friday morning.
A Smith County Jail detention officer was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly sneaking contraband into the jail and delivering it to various inmates.
According to the Smith County Sheriff's Office, around 3 p.m. Smith County Narcotics Investigators received information regarding alleged illegal contraband being brought into the Smith County Central Jail.
Detention officer, Lance Watson, 59, was arrested on a prohibited substance within a correctional facility charge.
"His uniform was removed immediately, put on an orange jumpsuit like an inmate as he should have on," said Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith. "And we're going to take care of business."
Investigators and Smith County Jail personnel quickly conducted a “shakedown” of the specified inmate pods within the jail. During the search, investigators located several items of contraband and a cellphone that had been concealed within two cells of the pod.
"We found where security screws had been removed from, for instance, one place of intercom, which requires a specialty tool to do it," Smith explained. "We later found a specialty tool within the facility as well."
Smith says they also found the detention officer may have been involved in dealing drugs.
"We also found what we believe to be possibly drug transaction ledger in a cell," he said.
Officials say when Watson arrived for his shift Wednesday evening, they searched his lunch box and found other contraband.
Investigators located six fast-food hamburgers with smokeless tobacco cans sandwiched between the buns, according to the Sheriff's Office.
The following items were found in the lunch box:
- 2 cans of Copenhagen Long Cut tobacco
- 3 cans of Grizzly Long Cut straight tobacco
- 2 cans of Grizzly Long Cut wintergreen tobacco
- Memory card
- Numerous handwritten documents and ledgers
Officials say Watson admitted that the tobacco was destined to be taken within Smith County Jail and that the 32g memory card was for the cell phone found in the cell block.
Watson was booked into the Smith County Jail with a $75,000 bond. He was then transported to another jail facility outside of Smith County for safety and security reasons.
"Upon conviction, a third-degree felony from two to 10 years in the penitentiary, or it could be probation," said Smith.
Thursday morning, with a search warrant in hand, investigators went to Watson's apartment.
"We found indications of the potential involvement in drug trafficking," the sheriff said.
Smith says the inmates in the pod that had the contraband are being punished.
"They will lose their commissary privileges and they were immediately taken to a more secure part of the facility and separated from one another."