By Sofia Saric
Miami Herald
MIAMI — A Miami-Dade correctional officer is accused of playing a role in smuggling drugs into jail facilities and aiding inmate gambling, a federal complaint filed Wednesday said.
Renel Troutman was identified as a compromised correctional officer with a role in an illegal enterprise after law enforcement started investigating a criminal organization operating within the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department (MDCR), the complaint said.
The organization relied upon a ring of people, including drug dealers, inmates and jail employees, to get drugs inside MDCR jail facilities, the complaint said.
The main drug activity within the jail involved paper laced with synthetic cannabinoids, commonly referred to as K2, the complaint said. Troutman allegedly worked with an individual to help conceal the drugs and get it into MDCR facilities.
In one instance, Troutman helped organize a Panda Express delivery to a jail to see if drugs could be concealed because correctional personnel were “unlikely to open a plate of food,” the complaint said.
Troutman was also a participant in a gambling operation with the same organization, allowing inmates to place wagers, including Hard Rock Bet wagers, live betting and sports wagers, the complaint said. One person was allegedly able to gamble $2,400 while incarcerated under Troutman’s watch.
The officer has been relieved of duty pending the outcome of the investigation, said Juan Diasgranados, a spokesman for the corrections department. The matter is under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and an administrative review by MDCR.
“MDCR takes matters involving employee conduct very seriously and remains committed to transparency, accountability and maintaining the public’s trust,” Diasgranados said.
Troutman is charged with conspiracy to possess narcotics with intent to distribute, Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right and racketeering promotion. He doesn’t have an attorney listed yet.
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