Alabama prison officer arrested on contraband, trafficking charges
MONTGOMERY, Ala. June 14 2023 The Alabama Department of Corrections arrested one of its own officers over the weekend.
ADOC reports that Charlie Townsend confessed to bringing in contraband for an inmate at Kilby Correctional Facility, where Townsend was stationed. ADOC says Townsend voluntarily resigned and was arrested Saturday. He is charged with trafficking methamphetamine, use of position for personal gain and second-degree promoting prison contraband.
Townsend was booked into the Montgomery County Detention Center on a total bail of $775,000. He has since been released.
According to the affidavit, Townsend, 28, brought in approximately 88 grams of meth, 104 grams of what is believed to be fentanyl, 30 grams of what is believed to be marijuana, multiple pills of what is believed to be Xanax, plus 208 grams of presumed synthetic drugs into the prison. Investigators allege that Townsend was going to sell the drugs in the prison for $1,500.
“The presence of illegal drugs is a growing challenge faced by correctional systems across the country. Criminals go to significant lengths to bypass security systems and introduce drugs and other types of illegal contraband into facilities. The ADOC is committed to enforcing its zero-tolerance policy on contraband, even when it comes to policing our own,” ADOC Commissioner John Hamm said in a statement.
ADOC says the investigation is ongoing and further charges may be added.
