Angola corrections officer arrested, allegedly smuggling drugs and contraband

Angola corrections officer arrested, allegedly smuggling drugs and contraband
Published: May. 13, 2017 at 8:02 PM CDT|Updated: May. 15, 2017 at 10:38 AM CDT
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WEST FELICIANA PARISH, LA (WAFB) - West Feliciana Parish Sheriff's deputies have booked an employee on drug and contraband charges, according to the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections.

DOC investigators at Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola arrested a prison employee in a shakedown Saturday morning for bringing contraband into the prison.

Investigators say they thwarted the corrections officer's attempt to smuggle drugs and contraband to prisoners.

During a routine shakedown of April Matthews, 23, of Baton Rouge, corrections officers at Angola found contraband inside her car, which was inside the prison, according to the arrest report.

Inside Matthews' car, corrections officers found:

  • 24 ecstasy pills
  • 2.6 ounces of marijuana
  • 9.08 ounces of synthetic marijuana
  • 8 Xanax pills
  • 4.9 grams of methamphetamine
  • 4 Tylenol 3 pills
  • 16 cellphones
  • Tobacco
  • Rolling papers
  • Phone charges
  • $511 in cash.

Corrections officers notified the West Feliciana Parish Sheriff's Office and booked Matthews with introduction of contraband into a penal institution, malfeasance in office, one count of possession of schedule IV narcotics, and two counts of possession of schedule I narcotics.

After her arrest, Matthews voluntarily resigned from the department. She had worked at Angola since August of 2016 and was a corrections officer for the prison.

The investigation is still ongoing with inmate arrests expected.

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