Owings Mills Correctional Officer Indicted In Bribery Conspiracy

OWINGS MILLS, MD -- A Jessup correctional officer from Owings Mills is among 18 people indicted in a yearlong investigation into corruption at the prison, state officials say. The multi-agency probe of the Jessup Correctional Facility resulted in the indictments of two correctional officers, six inmates and 10 "facilitators," such as relatives and wives, who coordinated the alleged smuggling of contraband including drugs and cell phones into the maximum security facility.

The indictment of correctional officer Philippe Jordan Jr., 38, of Owings Mills, states that he accepted bribes to deliver illegal contraband into the prison.

Jordan met up with Donya Bruce, 43, the twin sister of an inmate, around 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 23, 2017, outside Mondawmin Mall to pick up a package containing synthetic marijuana, Suboxone strips and $2,000 in cash, according to the indictment. It detailed the history of telephone calls and texts between the two leading up to the transaction.

Officers executed a warrant to search Jordan's vehicle a little more than an hour later, the indictment says; and he was arrested at 8:44 p.m. on Oct. 23 in the area of GameStop in the Garrison Forest Plaza in the 10300 block of Reisterstown Road.

Authorities said they found 4.5 grams of heroin, 147 strips of buprenorphine (Suboxone), 58.8 grams of synthetic marijuana, a loaded Glock model 23 handgun, watches and 10 cell phones, among other items such as lighters and tobacco, wrapped in electrical tape to condense them into small packages. There was also $2,357 in cash on the passenger seat, according to the indictment.

Donya Bruce, 43, of Baltimore, was one of those identified as "facilitators" in the indictments. She is the twin sister of Dante Bruce, 43, who has been incarcerated since 1994 for murder and handgun charges. Court records show he has been serving a life sentence after pleading guilty to murder.

According to the indictments, Dante Bruce arranged for cash payments to Jordan through Danye Bruce for him to smuggle items including synthetic marijuana and buprenorphine as well as various electronics and tobacco products into the Jessup facility.

Jordan, who has been employed by the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services since 2006, began smuggling contraband into the Jessup facility on or around Aug. 21, 2017, according to the indictment, which charged him with conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery and misconduct in office.

This was the latest in a series of prison scandals that have rocked Maryland correctional facilities in recent years.

• 80 from Maryland Prison Indicted in Racketeering Scheme
• Prison Gang, Drug Probe Charges 26 Including Guards
• 19 Indicted in Baltimore's Black Guerrilla Family Prison Bust

The indictments announced Thursday of 18 individuals allegedly involved in the conspiracy out of Jessup charge them with offenses from drug distribution conspiracy to contraband smuggling to bribery. Both officers have been charged with misconduct in office.

Two correctional officers have been indicted:

• Phillipe Jordan Jr., 38, of Owings Mills
• Warren Wright Jr., 43 of Baltimore

Six inmates have been indicted:

• Dante Bruce, 43
• Kevin Cooper, 34
• Duane Dundas, 46
• Dwayne Gaffney, 36
• Jabraiyl Hale, 25
• Tyrone Johnson Jr., 53

Ten facilitators have been indicted:

• Karisma Ashford, 28, of Baltimore
• Raeniece Board, 24, of Forrestville
• Donya Bruce, 43, of Baltimore
• Katina Bruce, 45 of Aberdeen
• Latoya Carmichael, 30, of Baltimore
• Seingwaeng Hammond, 25, of Washington, D.C.
• Marquis Johnson, 27, of Baltimore
• Travis Johnson, 25, of Baltimore
• Kianna Littlejohn, 32, of Baltimore
• Thelma Powers, 56, of Baltimore

See the 18 indictments announced Thursday as a result of the investigation.

The Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, Maryland State Police, FBI, DEA, Anne Arundel County Police Department, Baltimore City Police Department, Baltimore County Police Department, Office of the Attorney General, Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Office and Baltimore County State's Attorney Office participated in the investigation, according to the Maryland Office of the State Prosecutor.

"This case exemplifies the tremendous accomplishments that come from a partnership and cooperation between law-enforcement agencies and offices of prosecution in rooting out corruption in the State of Maryland," State Prosecutor Emmet C. Davitt said in a statement.

This is a breaking story and will be updated.