Charges Filed For Detention Officer Accused of Smuggling Cell Phones

A former Cleveland County detention officer, accused in a scheme to smuggle contraband into the facility, has been charged, according to court documents.

Investigators say Landon Russell gave cell phones to inmates, and he has been charged with possession of a cell phone or electronic device inside a penal institution.

Russell began working at the jail in June of this year and was arrested in November along with William Haddox who is accused of bringing nicotine patches into the jail, and investigators suspect those pouches were laced with a controlled substance.

Related: Cleveland County Jailers Arrested In Contraband Investigation, Sheriff Comments

In a news release from the Sheriff's Office, Cleveland County Detective Lt. Rick Adkins said that investigators don't believe Haddox and Russell were engaged in the same activities.

"However, each was found to have violated both our policy and state statutes by bringing contraband into our facility,” Adkins said.

Sheriff Chris Amason has initiated an internal administrative investigation.

“It abuses the position of trust and compromises the integrity and safety of the Cleveland County Detention Center and surrounding community,” Sheriff Amason said, “A detention officer must be held to a high standard of conduct, and I intend to hold them accountable.”