By Associated Press - Wednesday, October 21, 2020

BALTIMORE (AP) - Three corrections officers and four detainees have been indicted by a federal grand jury after prosecutors say an investigation revealed ongoing smuggling of drugs, cellphones and other contraband into Baltimore’s state-run, the U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday.

The indictment includes allegations of smuggling at the Chesapeake Detention Facility against corrections officer Andre Davis, 35, that date back to 2016, with $1,000 or more being exchanged at a time on some occasions, The Baltimore Sun reported Wednesday.

Also charged were officers Darren Parker, 45, and Talaia Youngblood, 35. Youngblood is accused of having sex with an inmate on one occasion, prosecutors said.

Serving as a federal pre-trial detention center, the Chesapeake Detention Facility is run by the state under a contract with the U.S. Marshals Service. It houses about 500 male and female detainees and has about 200 correctional officers and other employees.

The indictment details how inmates paid the corrections officers using the CashApp mobile payment service, obtaining tobacco, suboxone strips, cellphones and liquor.

Federal prosecutors would not say whether the case was connected to the recent arrest of a former Safe Streets violence prevention worker who was heard on a wiretap helping smuggle substances into the Chesapeake Detention Facility through an officer.

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