By Rosalio Ahumada
The Sacramento Bee
FRESNO, Calif. — California prison officials arrested a correctional officer reportedly found in possession of fentanyl and other narcotics on Monday inside Pleasant Valley State Prison in Fresno County.
Sgt. Greg Reinaldo Clark, who has worked the past 23 years for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, was arrested within the secured perimeter of Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga, CDCR announced Wednesday in a news release.
CDCR officials did not indicate the amount of confiscated fentanyl or what other narcotics Clark allegedly had in his possession at the prison, but they did release a photo of the confiscated drugs.
“Clark’s selfish acts put himself, PVSP staff and the incarcerated population in danger,” Steve Smith, the prison’s warden, said in the news release. “That is one of the most detestable acts one can commit in a peace officer position. A huge thank you to the investigative team for their hard work and dedication on this case.”
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, and 2 milligrams of fentanyl can provide a lethal dose. Fentanyl can shut down breathing, cause cardiac arrest and kill within minutes.
Clark’s career started in July 2001 as a CDCR cadet at the Richard A. McGee Correctional Training Center in Sacramento County. He started working as a correctional officer in December 2003 at Pleasant Valley State Prison. He was promoted to correctional sergeant in October 2013.
CDCR officials said on Wednesday that Clark has since resigned.
Clark earned a base salary of $97,701 in 2022 and had total pay and benefits that year of just over $200,000, according to compensation records provided by the state to Transparent California. Over a four-year span ending in 2022, he earned $113,395 in overtime pay.
“The department firmly condemns any staff member, including peace officers, who violate their oath and betray the public’s trust,” CDCR Secretary Jeff Macomber said in the news release. “We are committed to investigating and rooting out any employee who does not obey the law and betrays the public or CDCR staff.”
Clark, 51, was arrested on suspicion of drug possession, transporting or selling narcotics, bringing drugs into a prison, possessing paraphernalia in a jail and unlawfully communicating with a prisoner, Fresno County Jail records show. He was booked at the jail late Monday and released on $80,200 bail two hours later.
To effectively combat contraband, correctional staff must adopt the role of contraband detectives. In the following video, Gordon Graham shares strategies for prison staff to prevent contraband from entering facilities.
—
©2024 The Sacramento Bee.
Visit sacbee.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.