Former guard guilty of smuggling tobacco into Kansas prison

A former guard at the Lansing Correctional Facility pleaded guilty Wednesday to smuggling tobacco into the prison.

James R. Brooks, 21, entered the plea in Leavenworth County District Court, where he was charged last year with a felony count of trafficking contraband into a correctional facility.

Brooks was entering the Kansas prison last April when another employee noticed a bulge in his pocket, according to Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson.

In a subsequent search, prison officials found him carrying 26 pouches of chewing tobacco. Tobacco is not allowed inside the facility.

Sentencing for Brooks is scheduled for March 1.

This story was originally published January 18, 2017 at 2:02 PM with the headline "Former guard guilty of smuggling tobacco into Kansas prison."