The indictments charge 18 correctional officers, 35 inmates and 27 outside facilitators for their roles in the conspiracy, which allegedly involved paying bribes to correctional officers to smuggle contraband, including narcotics, tobacco and cellphones, into the Eastern Correctional Institution in Westover. The indictments, returned Sept. 29, were unsealed Wednesday.
"Prison corruption is a longstanding, deeply rooted systemic problem that can only be solved by a combination of criminal prosecutions and policy changes," U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said. "We will continue to work closely with state officials to prosecute correctional officers who bring cellphones, drugs and other contraband into correctional facilities, and to propose appropriate changes in prison policies and practices."
"Few things threaten our society more than public servants who betray their oath for personal gain," said Gordon B. Johnson, special agent in charge of the FBI Baltimore Division. "It was extremely courageous of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to allow the access required to conduct this type of investigation. The state of Maryland and the FBI together have made this community safer."
ECI is a medium-security prison for men built as two identical compounds (east and west) on 620 acres, housing more than 3,300 inmates in Somerset County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The east and west compounds are divided into housing units: 1 through 4 in the west and 5 through 8 in the east.
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47 comments:
I've always seen people leaving comments on here that the people down there are crooks. They just wear different uniforms than the criminals and are on the other side of the bars.
It's a crying shame that all the honest correctional officers had to work alongside these corrupt officers. The job is tough enough without this type of criminal activity.
MANDATORY unannounced polygraph testing for ALL employees.
Joe, when the correctional staff and administrators names are released....please post them....I served 23 years with DOC, and now retired ........COMING out of Fort Meade/ Jessup region in April of 1987 to open up ECI....once there and in 1989 we had a big drug bust, and the current Security Chief @ Wicomico County Detention Center ( CURRENTLY) was an administrator than at ECI and was fired for his role in the drugs at ECI.... during that time, ECI administrators made my life hell while they dealed in drugs with the inmates....thanks Joe
Zorro click the read more button and scroll to the bottom of the article. They have all the names posted.
Wait what???? An actual cop getting charged for something???? No this can't be accurate!!!!
I saw them in our area next two doors down and they are wearing FBI vest's at F apartment with state trooper.
Wow. . I am sure more to come.
I have always heard there are more drugs in prison than on the street
Zorro 249 thank you for your comment and your service.
I thought ECI was one of the better jails but apparently it's no better than the Baltimore County Jail when it shut down due to corruption
So the FBI must have been picking up the officers and facilitators today
Right 305. ..
Has there been a list of those involved posted yet? Looks like they will have a few job openings coming up soon.
Follow links names are posted, wow
Look at what is mostly in jail and then look at what mostly works and runs the jail.This will answer all your questions.
The FBI was in our neighborhood this morning as well. We didn't know what the heck was going on.
Rachelle Hankerson was arrest for DUI in 2014
How come nothing has been reported about the warden? She was allowed to resign before all this hit the fan? Think she was involved or knew about it? Hmmmm...
Zorro we must know each other I transferred from the Baltimore area in 1987 also to open up ECI. I put in 22 years and retired because of the corruption allowed. The Unions would do nothing to assist in reporting this corruption. I agree with what you stated. You left out that there were approx. 15 Administrators, Supervisors along with line Officers had to go to rehab, some getting Admin leave. I will say his name Kimball was Security Chief and was the Kingpin. The others were his cronies / Homeboys / Homegirls he got transferred down.
These low life's are far from "cops", try again
The criminals run the prisons thanks Democrats !
The warden falls into the Hillary Clinton catagory, to big to charge Only the little people get charged.
7:31 I hope you are talking about the corrupt ones. You are not qualified to make such statements because you are very ill informed. Correctional Officers are a group of respectable citizens trying to earn an honest living. Up until 2000 we had an in-service program that was as stringent as the Police, including firearms training that was more stringent than Police because we were given no slack during our timed exercises. The only difference was we had nothing to due with civil law. We had more along the lines of Constitutional rights. No we did not have arrest powers. Correctional Officers had to deal with the criminal element the complete time they were on duty. We had to deal with the possibility of being injured or worst the entire shift. The Police is not on high alert their entire shift every shift. I am taking nothing away from the Police who I respect completely. The Correctional Officer automatically gets no respect from anyone including the Police. Correctional Officers are looked down on as a non-professional. Correctional Officers are always judged by the bad ones that has an ego problem.
Here is an interesting thought....gov hogan is acting like this was completely his doing.....I wonder how he pulled off the investigation as he wasn't even elected yet.....
8:11 thank you for saying the truth. It is a thankless job that most have no respect for. The public has no idea of the service CO'S provide for their safety and well being. In every group, their are good and bad. Dont judge unless you have walked their path. And don't belittle a job you have no idea how to do.
Thank you Gov. Hogan. Please make sure anyone found guilty to do their entire mandatory sentence.
Remember when ECI was marketed for Somerset County as an economic miracle, bringing hundreds of good jobs and lots of money to the economy there?
Has anyone seen the economic miracle yet?
What we have seen, with ECI as at least a contributing factor:
1) The emergence of nationally present gangs in surrounding towns, especially Salisbury;
2) A spike in welfare recipients from Baltimore and the rest of the state as convicts' wives, girlfriends and children move here to be closer to their men (and they very often don't leave after he's released);
3) Increased crimes, including gang murders and drug trade, as a result of #s 1 and 2;
4) Increased problems in schools as a result of #s 1 and 2;
5) Increased short term housing rentals as #2's people skip from one rental to another (often leaving unpaid rent and destruction behind);
6) An unparalleled fear factor among long-time residents;
7) A large spending increase in law enforcement and social services, with seemingly no amount sufficient to maintain good balance.
Bringing a large prison to the Shore was a mistake. But you know what? They'd do it again if they had the chance, and for all of the same reasons, even knowing that it would end up making this the Land of Less Pleasant Than It Was Living.
An additional thought:
The corruption inside the walls by correctional staff extends into our communities here on the Shore. Some of those officers who are passing drugs and other contraband to inmates are doubtless involved in other trafficking in the civilian sector. The investigations will find that this is just the tip of the corruption iceberg.
Where can we read the actual indictment?
305 they are not cops you mouth breather. I am guessing you have been a guest at a correctional facility judging by you bias. You are a true Adam Henry
Green and Hanke should definitely be charged by the FBI
They had to be in on it or have let it go on for two yrs +
Green ruined the ECI hellhole since 1987 and illegally
harassed all the good officers and kept them from being
promoted . The public just does not know how bad it was.
There is a place in Hell waiting for them and their co-conspirators . No wonder the place got worse and worse .
Just like Hillary Nothing Sticks to the Higher ups No
wonder people Hate the government and should .
It makes me sick that Wicomico County hired those well
known ECI rejects >>> Kalourmakis / Tyler / Kimble
They should be in prison and are perfect examples of
the fact that the worst criminals are the ones in charge
of the country's jails and prisons.
So how do they expect the ones who are locked up to be
so called rehabilitated ,when they set such a bad example.
There was Plenty of History on both Kimble and Kalourmakis
yet the Wicomico County still hired them
They are the worst two they could have hired , so much for
background checks . There is easy to find info on the
internet these days How hard can it be ??
As for Tyler Cauffman she was always worthless at ECI and
kissed ass to get here rank kissing up to K Green
Officers who worked with her said she would sleep at work
and never had to do anything / just another Spong , sponging off taxpayers money and Unqualified for any rank
Looks like the Facilitators run the Facility
Green and her Facilitators that is
Good officers remember when Kalourmakis had his short stint
as Warden (acting)
He forced out his secretary who liked the good officers
and sent her to maintenance to never return
The good officers Hated him and he was well known to be
against them and loved to harass and threaten them and Rule
by Fear
RIDDLE: How can anyone today be charged with racketeering while the Clintons still walk around the streets free after decades of making their money from racketeering?
The State of Maryland is the Facilitator who only covers
up all that happens at ECI they don't want the press
Shit rolls down hill and mngmnt is always covered for and
all know it
only the pee ons are held accountable or get punished
Every Warden was and is Dirty and are the puppets for DOC
White officers are treated like the minority and bullied by
the blacks in prison it is a world of it's own
I wonder what the total cost was for a multiyear, multi-agency investigation?
I am not condoning corruption, I am just wondering at what point do we realize that prohibition didn't work for alcohol and it's not working for all of the other substances available.
Dictating behavior and legislating morality are not freedom and they don't work.
Shaw Shank Redemption = ECI Redemption
will the Warden shoot themselves as the FBI knocks on
their office door to arrest them ???? stay tuned
Kinda like Hillary Clinton and Benghazi
Bad Boys Bad Boys What you gonna do / What You gonna
do when they Come For You ???
the place will start rocki'n when the Feds come Knock'n
Get DOG the Bounty Hunter to into ECI
He will find and take out the Bad Boys
Dog would be a good Warden
his wife a good Security Chief
FBI ck out Capt Doug Matthews he Dirty too most Likely
Get D O G to weed E'm out
Wooof wooof
Back in Old School days no way would this many dirtballs
have gotten away with so many co-conspirators doing what
they did ... for so long
Somebody would have Told - ratted them out early on
This place must have reached New Lows ...what a Hellhole
So much for Hiring mngrs ... better Fire them too
Stay Out of so-called Corrections / to all Public seeking a job ... find one somewhere else....
It is really Corruptions , so don't waist your liftime
like so many of us did who suffered there.
Life is too short... A 24 year veteran's Best advice.....
You are outnumbered by the Bad in there , so stay out here
You can't change it there either ...you against the Gov
The Administrations are Corrupt in All the prisons
There is Not One on the up and up
That's why they are such hellholes were no sain or normal
person wants to go to.....
It is true that the inmates/prisoners Run the places
because the officers that are good (a few) are not allowed
to run them.....
So much for correcting anybody,when they see how these places are ran.........
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