Investigation Uncovers Multiple Violations At BSO Jails

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) - Four former Broward Sheriff's Office employees are accused of smuggling cell phones, drugs and money into two county jails and giving the contraband to inmates.

In one case, a former detention deputy is also accused of having sex with an inmate in a storage closet. Two other former employees are accused of carrying on romantic relationships with inmates.

Former detention deputies Salisia Pascoe and Roderick Lopez along with jail technician Kiara Walker and nurse Carline Jean face criminal charges.

Three inmates also face charges -- Dietrick Johnson, Diamond Scott and Norman Terrelonge.

BSO said they began investigating the cases last July after uncovering contraband in the Main Jail in Fort Lauderdale and at the Joseph V. Conte Jail in Pompano Beach.

"The results of this investigation are more than disturbing," said Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti during an afternoon news conference. "It's downright disgusting and I'm really sickened."

Lamberti said the overwhelming majority of the jail's 5,600 employees work hard and do the right thing. But a few don't.

"Even if it's only one percent of 5600 that's 56 people and they shouldn't be allowed to work here," he said.

BSO said they planned to make a number of security changes to prevent the issue from arising again. For instance, they plan to screen all employees like they do with visitors. They also plan to conduct searches of employee lounges and kitchens and increase the number of K-9 searches of inmates and their cells for contraband.

Investigators also plan to restrict detention deputy movement among floors in the jail and put surveillance cameras on the outside of the building. The cameras are a reaction to a deputy who is accused of meeting someone in the parking lot of the jail and taking money to deliver contraband to an inmate, BSO said.

In one specific case in the Main Jail in November, former Deputy Pascoe is accused of giving a cell phone to a murder suspect then having sex with him in a closet.

Former nurse Jean is also accused of giving a cell phone to an inmate -- Norman Terrelonge - then "sexting" nude photos to him.

Former technician Walker also stands accused of providing a cell phone to an inmate -- Johnson -- carrying on hundreds of phone conversations with him, even while she worked at the jail. Walker and Johnson also exchanged "explicit text messages regarding sex acts and Walker sent close-up photos of female genitalia," investigators said.

"Obviously cavorting with inmates -- and that's putting it mildly -- it's wrong," Lamberti said.

The case of Dietrick Johnson is especially disturbing for BSO, because he was sentenced Friday to 50 years in prison for being part of a group that carried out violent armed robberies at pharmacies in 2007. The group has also been looked at in connection with the murder of Broward Sheriff's Sergeant Chris Reyka in a Walgreen's parking lot in August 2007.

BSO investigators said Walker knew about Johnson's past.

"(Walker) was well aware that he was a very dangerous individual and she knew he was arrested for multiple armed robberies," Det. Joe Kessling said.

Another former detention deputy -- Roderick Lopez -- is accused of smuggling in food, batteries and a cell phone that he gave to inmates. On one instance, Lopez is accused of meeting an inmate's girlfriend at a nearby McDonald's and receiving $50 to deliver items to an inmate.

Department of Detention Director Colonel James Wimberly called the arrests "an ethics issue" and said the former employees had been manipulated by the inmates.

"They're supposed to upstanding citizens and they're held to a higher standard and they violated our trust," he said.

Sheriff Lamberti said two other former employees who were under suspicion for their roles in the schemes recently resigned. He said those two former employees might face charges in the future.

"The investigation will not cease until every last person is held accountable," Lamberti said.

All four former employees who have been arrested have also been suspended without pay pending termination.