Former prison nurse accused of smuggling contraband into Leavenworth Detention Center
A former nurse for the privately-run federal prison in Leavenworth is accused of smuggling cell phones and tobacco products to prisoners as part of a larger alleged conspiracy organized by fellow workers.
Jeane Arnette, an employee of the prison from August 2020 through September of this year, is named in a criminal complaint filed Wednesday in the U.S. District of Kansas. She currently faces a single count of conspiracy based on the accusations outlined in the complaint.
According to the court documents, Arnette allegedly smuggled or attempted to smuggle contraband on at least 15 occasions between July and September for a person identified as “Inmate 1.” Investigators allege she was compensated through Cash App, a mobile service that supports financial transactions between account holders.
The prison is managed by CoreCivic, the nation’s largest private prison operator. Arnette is the fourth employee to be accused of criminal activity at the prison within the past three months.
Matthew Davio, a spokesman for the company, told The Star this week that the company’s top priority is the safety of its staff and prisoners.
“CoreCivic has a zero-tolerance policy for the introduction of contraband into our facilities and we will always work with our law enforcement partners to take swift action to address this type of behavior,” he said in a statement.
Earlier this week, Willie Golden, a former corrections officer, was accused in a separate complaint of trafficking tobacco, marijuana and cell phones to prisoners. During his time as a correctional officer, Golden allegedly received $7,370 for smuggling contraband to eight prisoners. Court documents also referenced two other public officials working for the prison, whose names are undisclosed in court records, as co-conspirators.
In a separate criminal indictment filed in September, two other former corrections officers were charged with smuggling contraband by similar means. They are Cheyonte Harris, 29, of Raytown, and Jacqueline Sifuentes, 25, of Laredo, Texas.
CoreCivic works under a contract through the U.S. Marshals Service. The prison is scheduled to close later this month following an executive order by President Joe Biden directing contracts with private prisons to close by the end of the year.
This story was originally published December 10, 2021 at 7:06 AM.
