2 OK County Detention Officers Accused Of Selling Contraband To Inmates

Two Oklahoma County detention officers are fired, then booked into the same jail they worked in. Investigators say the two were selling smuggled contraband to inmates.

Those detention officers had an elaborate system going which involved not only inmates, but their families to arrange payment for smuggled contraband.

In addition to drugs, weapons, tools, and other common items of contraband. In 2012, detention officers with the Oklahoma County Sheriff's office confiscated 104 cell phones from the county jail. In some cases, detention officers were helping to fuel the problem.

"The going rate right now for cell phones inside the jail is about $300 or $400," said Oklahoma County Sheriff, John Whetsel.

The Sheriff says that has created big business for not just inmates but his employees.

"For detention officers who make not the best wages, it's tempting," said Whetsel.

Detention Officer Miah Dukes, and Senior Detention officer Timothy Oakes were caught doing business with at least four inmates. But, what led investigators to Dukes, was inmate Equan England, already serving lengthy sentences in the Department of Corrections.

"If they get a cell phone, and they bypass all of those controls, then they're able to use that to create some type of crime activity outside of the jail, and or inside of the jail," said Whetsel.

Investigators were able to download text messages, contacts, call logs, and even photos of Dukes sent to England.

According to the affidavit, in January, Dukes received a text message from Oakes, which read, "somebody has 300 dollars for you in 10 A for a phone." That lead to the firing, and ultimately the arrest of Oakes, who investigators say was also heavily involved in selling contraband to inmates.

"The few bad ones that we have are getting caught," said Whetsel.

The Sheriff says there's a contraband search team in the jail which searches the building daily. If convicted, the former detention officers could face up to ten years in jail.