Employee Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Drugs Into Prison

BUFORD, GA -- A former employee of Phillips State Prison in Buford had pleaded guilty to using her position to smuggle drugs into the facility.

Charonda Edwards, 29, of College Park, on Wednesday was the first to plead guilty in a series of federal prison corruption cases in which more than 80 defendants have been charged.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Edwards admitted to smuggling methamphetamine and marijuana into the prison kitchen where she worked. She would then hide the drugs for inmates, who would sell them to others in the prison.

Inmates would place orders with Edwards using contraband cellphones smuggled into the prison and pay her bribes via prepaid debit cards, feds say.

She would also inform the inmates about sensitive information like when the prison would be put on lock-down or when searches would be conducted, they say.

“The security of our prisons depends on correctional employees to perform their jobs honestly and with integrity,” U.S. Attorney John Horn said in a news release. “The safety and effectiveness of the prison system is compromised when employees, like Edwards, conspire with inmates to bring contraband into institutions.”

Sentencing has not yet been scheduled in the case. The drug conspiracy charge against Edwards carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000, and the bribery charge against her carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

The prison corruption cases are being investigated by the FBI.