By Virginia Bridges
The Herald-Sun, Durham, N.C.
DURHAM, N.C. — A former Durham County detention officer who admitted to accepting a bribe from an inmate to supply him with Chick-fil-A sandwiches and cell phone batteries avoided jail time in a recent plea, according to the district attorney and court documents.
Former Sgt. Nicole Locke pleaded guilty to bribery of an official, a class F felony. Her 12-month supervised probation sentence was part of a negotiated plea with prosecutors and approved by Durham County Superior Court Judge Michael O’Foghludha on Jan. 6.
If Locke violates her probation, she may be required to serve 10 to 21 months in prison, according to court documents.
Former Durham County Sheriff Mike Andrews said the sentence seems “soft.”
“It sends the wrong message” to other detention employees across the state, Andrews said.
District Attorney Satana Debery defended the deal. It was supported by the evidence and Locke’s willingness to immediately take responsibility, she said.
“This is actually what we want citizens to do. We want citizens, when they are confronted with wrongdoing, to acknowledge that they did it, and accept punishment for it,” Deberry told The News & Observer Friday.
Current Sheriff Clarence Birkhead said in a statement that his office will not stand for such activity and will hold individuals accountable.
“Introducing contraband, particularly electronic communication devices, into a secure facility puts everyone at risk — from our dedicated staff members to the individuals housed within our care,” the statement said. “It undermines the safety protocols we have worked tirelessly to maintain and creates an environment where illicit activity can flourish.”Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead .
Locke is one of three people who worked in the Durham County Detention Center accused of crimes with an inmate charged with murder. Darrius Tyson, described in court as a high-ranking gang member, has been in jail since spring 2023, charged with killing Shawn Burton, who disappeared in 2022.
Charges are also pending, accusing another now former detention sergeant and contracted nurse of having sex with Tyson.
Tyson told prosecutors that he was the highest-ranking member of a Blood gang in North Carolina, WRAL reported.
Birkhead announced in October 2024 that Locke had been charged with multiple felonies related to an inmate.
A grand jury later indicted her on five felony charges accusing her of providing forbidden items to Tyson for a year ending in August 2024 and taking a $500 bribe. Mike Andrews served as Durham County sheriff from 2012 to 2018.
After county officials recovered a cell phone belonging to Tyson, they discovered Locke’s phone number, Deberry said.
Sheriff’s officials then asked to meet with Locke to discuss what they found on the device. During that interview, Locke admitted “to everything,” Deberry said.
“She confessed immediately,” Deberry said.
Locke told officials she brought Tyson food from Chick-fil-A. She would take a bite of a sandwich and throw it away. Tyson would then remove it from the trash, Deberry said. Locke also admitted to bringing Tyson batteries to charge his cell phone and to taking a $500 bribe.
Andrews, Durham’s sheriff from 2012 to 2018, said Locke should have spent some time in prison. Enabling someone in jail to make unmonitored phone calls is a serious safety issue, Andrews said. The inmate could use the phone to coordinate other crimes, potentially putting court and jail employees, as well as witnesses in his case, in danger.
“You can plan whatever you want to plan,” Andrews said. Longtime defense Attorney Ralph Frasier, who practices in Durham and across the state, said deals such as Locke’s are common, especially when the person has no criminal history.
“Someone who has not had any prior convictions is not likely going to go to jail unless they have a class D felony or higher,” rising to the level of an armed robbery or something similar, he said. In North Carolina, felony classifications range from Class A, the most severe, to Class I, the least serious.
Locke pleaded guilty to the most serious charge she faced — bribery of an official, a Class F felony.
Deberry said they are taking the case seriously, noting that others face charges that are pending.
“There is more to come,” Deberry said.
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