Correction Officer Charged With Bringing Drugs To Facility: Prosecutor

MINEOLA, NY — A probationary corrections officer was arraigned on Thursday on charges of allegedly smuggling drugs into the Nassau County Correctional Center, prosecutors said.

Javel Welch, 38, of West Hempstead, had a small bible in his backpack, the pages of which contained residue of the synthetic drug K2, prosecutors said. The Nassau County District Attorney's office also said Welch had a cell phone, which is banned in the facility.

"The health and safety of our correction officers and incarcerated individuals is paramount," said D.A. Anne Donnelly. "In the wrong hands, a cellphone in a jail can become a tool for retribution, harassment, and violence. Illicit substances introduced into the jail population can create medical emergencies and further destabilize the facility. Our correction officers are entrusted to uphold the law and maintain order. This defendant’s alleged actions compromised his integrity and could have had extremely dangerous consequences."

Welch was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court on April 6.

Among the charges he faces include first-degree promoting prison contraband, a felony.

If convicted of the top charge, Welch faces a potential maximum of 2 1/3 to 7 years in prison, Donnelly said.