Guard Accused Of Bringing Drugs To Delaware County Jail

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA — A guard at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility in Concord has been accused of bringing drugs into the jail with the intent to give them to inmates.

Authorities said Chloe Vadel, 24, a correctional officer at the facility, was arrested on charges of possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver to inmates at the jail.

On Saturday, Detective Steven Bannar of the DA’s Criminal Investigative Division met with Sergeant Saleem Jones, a correctional officer at the jail.

Jonesin told Bannar he got information that Vadel was going to be bringing a large quantity of narcotics into the facility later that day.

Upon her arrival for duty that day, Vadel was removed from her post and acknowledged she had suboxone in her vehicle, and consented to a search.

A search by the facility’s K-9 unit turned up a substantial amount of suboxone, as well as a substance believed to be synthetic marijuana, and an unidentified "leafy substance," authorities said.

"This is the third incident in as many months in which a correctional officer has been arrested on
charges of bringing contraband into the County jail," District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said. "In each of those previous instances, we have noted that smuggling drugs into jails endangers inmates, jail staff, and the public. The fact that this dangerous and unlawful conduct has continued despite the previous arrests only highlights the breakdown in the management of the County facility. As I have stated previously, my office fully supports the recent decision by County Council to return management of the facility to County control. While there is no way to guarantee that County management can fully protect inmates and staff against this type of unlawful conduct, I am confident that the issue will get the attention it so obviously deserves."

Vadel was remanded to the facility on $100,000 bail

Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 2.