A woman had been working at the Fulton County Jail for only about a month before she was arrested Wednesday and accused of smuggling in contraband, authorities said.
Ebonee Grant was going through the security checkpoint when officials said they smelled a strong odor. Marijuana and tobacco were found inside Grant’s food containers as she was entering the facility for her shift, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
Grant was a contract medical assistant at the jail. She is facing charges of crossing guard lines with prohibited items, attempting to commit offense pertaining to drug possession, possession or distribution of marijuana, providing prohibited items to inmate, and providing tobacco product without authorization to inmate, jail records show.
It’s not the first time an employee has tried to sneak prohibited items into the Fulton jail.
TreQuera Lashell Ford was caught trying to smuggle in a bag full of drugs and tobacco products at the start of her shift in May, authorities said. A bag containing 192 grams of marijuana, 20 grams of suspected crack cocaine, 200 cigarettes and loose tobacco were found in her possession, according to the sheriff’s office.
After the incident, Sheriff Pat Labat said his office has “zero tolerance for anyone attempting to smuggle contraband into the Fulton County Jail.”
“There is an expectation and legal requirement that individuals, who are contractors providing services at the jail, obey the law and work to maintain the safety of the facility and not put others at risk,” the sheriff said. “When someone violates that trust and the law, we are obligated to file criminal charges.”
A month later, a maintenance worker was arrested after being accused of smuggling marijuana, cigarettes and a cellphone into the jail, the sheriff’s office said.
Jason Mullens was stopped in June when investigators spotted him going into a cell with two inmates. Inside his tool box, they found several items, including 31 grams of suspected marijuana and Newport cigarettes, an arrest warrant revealed. Deputies said Mullens admitted to giving inmates prohibited items on several occasions for payment.
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