Prison Guard Faces Trial For Smuggling Cellphones

A former guard at the Cimarron Correctional Facility in Cushing, OK was ordered Monday to stand trial on a charge of bringing two cell phones and several pouches of tobacco into secure areas of the private prison in Cushing.

Danny James Galbreath, 24, of Broken Arrow, waived his right Monday to a preliminary hearing on the felony count of bringing cell phones into the prison — which are considered contraband in a penal facility.

Galbreath remains free on $15,000 bail pending his arraignment in district court on May 27 on the two-count charge including the misdemeanor count of bringing tobacco into the prison — which is also considered contraband.

Galbreath was arrested at the prison shortly after noon on Jan. 5, by Cushing Police Officer Carson Watts, who was sent there on a report of an employee bringing contraband into the prison, court records show.

Prison Chief of Security Donald Steer told the Cushing officer that an inmate had provided information that Galbreath “has been bringing cellular phones and tobacco into the facility,” Watts wrote in an affidavit.

“Chief Steer then showed me a written statement completed by Corrections Officer Galbreath admitting to bringing in the contraband,” Watts alleged in his affidavit.

“I asked Corrections Officer Galbreath what he has brought into the prison. He told me two cellular phones and several pouches of tobacco,” Watts alleged in his affidavit.

“Corrections Officer Galbreath told me that he received $100 per phone and $50 per pouch of tobacco,” Watts alleged in his affidavit.

“I asked Corrections Officer Galbreath how he got paid to bring in the contraband, and he told me that he had to meet an inmate’s mother at her residence and she gave him the money,” Watts alleged in his affidavit.

“Corrections Officer Galbreath continued to say that he would then take the money, and use a portion of the money to purchase a $20 cell phone or the tobacco,” the affidavit alleged.

Galbreath said he got the phones inside the prison by taping them to the inside of his forearm, the affidavit alleged.

“Corrections Officer Galbreath said that when the metal detectors would go off, the officer would pat-search him, but would not search the underside of his forearm,” the affidavit alleged.

“I asked how he got the tobacco into the prison and he said that he would put the tobacco into bags of chips when he walked into the prison,” the officer alleged in his affidavit.

If convicted of both counts, the former prison guard could be incarcerated for three years and fined $3,000, according to the charges filed by First Assistant District Attorney Mike Kulling.

Source

Author
Recent Posts

Brian

Managing Partner at meshIP, LLC

Brian Byrne is the founder and Managing Partner of Dallas based meshIP, a technology services firm offering cloud computing strategies and services. He is an accomplished executive with senior management experience in all facets of the technology, telecom, cloud computing, and SaaS industries. He has proven success in developing, financing and executing strategic plans as well as launching new ventures. His background includes a record of significant achievement in international business development and his credentials include a MBA in Marketing and Management Strategy from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, a MS from the School of Computer Science at DePaul University, and a BBA in Finance from the University of Notre Dame.

He is also the inventor of the patented meshDETECT, Secure Prison Cell Phone Solutions.

Linkedin Profile