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Hawkins County jailer accused of smuggling drugs to inmate

ROGERSVILLE — An officer at the Hawkins County Jail who’d only been on duty since Nov. 16 was arrested over the weekend accused of smuggling drugs to an inmate.

The inmate has also been charged.

Hawkins County Sheriff Roger Christian said Monday that his Narcotics Unit received a tip Friday night that jail officer Phillip Jarrod Roberts, 18, 678 Stoney Point Road, Surgoinsville, would be delivering drugs Saturday to an inmate.

Investigators were also told the specific type and quantity of of drugs — four peach-colored pills believed to be Lortab — and the name of an inmate in cell block A who was allegedly the recipient, Tony Chester McNally, 41, 140 Eagle Drive, Rogersville.

McNally had been in jail in connection with the robbery of the Surgoinsville Quick Stop market on Highway 11-W the night of Dec. 26, 2007, and a subsequent forgery charge for which he was indicted earlier this month.

Roberts was initially interviewed by Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office Detective Lt. Randy Collier early Saturday morning. According to Collier’s report, Roberts admitted to “obtaining drugs from an outside source and delivering them to inmates that were being housed at the Hawkins County Jail.”

Following Roberts’ interview, investigators did a general shakedown of cell block A and found the pills that matched the tipster information.

“Based on the information we’d received we knew the type of drugs, the person who was supposed to deliver the drugs, and the inmate recipient. And upon investigation it panned out to be correct,” Christian said Monday.

Roberts was charged with introduction of drugs into a penal institution. He was released on bail Saturday and is scheduled for arraignment in Hawkins County Sessions Court on Jan. 14.

During the shakedown, investigators allegedly found the four Lortab pills in McNally’s possession, and McNally was also charged with introduction of drugs into a penal institution

It’s a Class C felony with a punishment range between three and six years in prison.

Roberts has been suspended indefinitely without pay from his jailer position.

Drug smuggling is an ongoing problem at the Hawkins County Jail, as with most jails. Most recently three people were arrested earlier this month accused of trying to get drugs, tobacco and candy to inmates through an outside air vent on the east wall. The sheriff’s department subsequently switched inmates from that block into another block and repaired a damaged air vent cover that had apparently given inmates access to items placed in the outside vent.

Christian said the smuggling of contraband into the jail has always been an ongoing battle.

“We felt that there was some drugs being brought in, as most jail facilities do have drugs in them,” Christian said. “We were just unsure whether (inmates) were coming up with some creative way to get the drugs in or the worst-case scenario was that one of our own was doing it. As it turned out, it was one of our own.

“It’s hard enough to have to police the entire county, but when you have to start policing your own, that makes it doubly bad.”

Christian said he had no reason to believe Roberts could be corrupted when he was hired on Nov. 16. Despite his youth, Roberts had good recommendations, and his father had been a police officer.

“Others in law enforcement who know this boy spoke highly of him, and this certainly wasn’t something that we saw coming,” Christian said.

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I agree that only people that have reached the age of 21 should be allowed to be employed as corrections officers, but I don't know how one could legislate that without running into a multitude of lawsuits complaining about age discrimination of some such.

A counterpoint to this is that we cannot state with certainty that it was the young man's age (or lack thereof) that caused him to make this wrong decision, therefore changing age requirements would not have solved this problem.

Trampled Smith | 12/30/2008 - 6:02 PM - (Suggest Removal )

I would have to agree with Bobby.

Why is an 18 year old working in a jail. What experiance does he have? A GED or a High School Diploma? Thats about it.

Is that all they require? I feel no one under 21 should work in law enforcement period.

Just my 2 cents.

American Veteran | 12/30/2008 - 2:25 PM - (Suggest Removal )

Congratulations to Sheriff Christian. He's been doing a fantastic job as Sheriff of Hawkins County and has not been afraid to rout out corruption, even when it's found within the force itself.

Jeremiah Jones | 12/30/2008 - 1:14 PM - (Suggest Removal )

Why is an 18 year old a jailer? Roger Christain should be charged with malfeasance and be a least sanctioned or even removed from office -the young man (jailer) should be prosecuted and jailed -Hawkins county-WTF

bobby lane | 12/30/2008 - 11:47 AM - (Suggest Removal )

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