13 Ector County Correctional Center Workers Indicted For Bribery
By: Matthew Farrell
Updated: January 30, 2013
ODESSA -- Scandal struck the Ector County Correctional Center, when several workers were indicted on charges of bribery.
12 guards and 1 food service worker now face charges of smuggling contraband to inmates, an alleged crime that some say was driven by money.
"I think, probably, the motivation for that would be monetary. Some sort of monetary reward they're getting for smuggling those things in there," attorney Robert Hollman told Big 2.
Hollman works down the road from the courthouse where the correction center is located, but he doesn't want to see this sort of corruption anywhere.
"You'd like to think theses are being operated on the up and up and by the same token, you realize there are people running them and if some people see a way they can make and extra dollar, they're gonna do it," Hollman said.
The 13 workers were accused of smuggling in items such as cigarettes, marijuana, cell phones and chargers to inmates.
The accused workers are:
Jovanna Marie Olivarez of Odessa,
12 guards and 1 food service worker now face charges of smuggling contraband to inmates, an alleged crime that some say was driven by money.
"I think, probably, the motivation for that would be monetary. Some sort of monetary reward they're getting for smuggling those things in there," attorney Robert Hollman told Big 2.
Hollman works down the road from the courthouse where the correction center is located, but he doesn't want to see this sort of corruption anywhere.
"You'd like to think theses are being operated on the up and up and by the same token, you realize there are people running them and if some people see a way they can make and extra dollar, they're gonna do it," Hollman said.
The 13 workers were accused of smuggling in items such as cigarettes, marijuana, cell phones and chargers to inmates.
The accused workers are:
Jovanna Marie Olivarez of Odessa,
Matthew Ryan Wlliams of Oessa,
Dennis Earl Newsome of Austin,
Charlette Smith of Odessa,
Nancy Torres Morales of Odessa,
Valerie Ann Arenivas of Odessa,
Gabriel Angel Navarette of Odessa,
Jennifer Armida Lopez of Odessa,
Jessica Lucia Smith of Monahans,
Jazmine Desiree Cruz of Odessa,
Jonathon Wayne Meza of Odessa,
Barbara Jean Garrett of Andrews and
Ashley Dawn Clark of Crane.
According to Hollman, it's not surprising, given the amount of time the guards spend with inmates.
"They go into the cell and they move the prisoners from one place to another and they have pretty much total access to them," Hollman continued.
If convicted, the accused workers could face 15 years in federal prison and maximum fines of $250,000.
It's important to note: This is not the Ector County Jail, rather, it is a privately owned corrections center.
According to Hollman, it's not surprising, given the amount of time the guards spend with inmates.
"They go into the cell and they move the prisoners from one place to another and they have pretty much total access to them," Hollman continued.
If convicted, the accused workers could face 15 years in federal prison and maximum fines of $250,000.
It's important to note: This is not the Ector County Jail, rather, it is a privately owned corrections center.
