Trending Topics

Mo. guard admits smuggling heroin to inmate

By Robert Patrick
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

ST. LOUIS — A guard at the St. Louis Justice Center pleaded guilty Wednesday to a federal drug charge and admitted accepting $200 to smuggle heroin to an inmate.

James L. Moore, 36, was approached by an inmate who was secretly cooperating with the St. Louis police and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The inmate had Moore call a “friend” to arrange to pick up the heroin. Moore took $200 and delivered a package to the inmate on Jan. 22. But the friend was an undercover agent and the heroin was fake.

Under federal sentencing guidelines, Moore faces 24 to 30 months in federal prison when he is sentenced in October for the charge, attempting to smuggle heroin.

Moore was one of three guards arrested in June.

Peggy Lynn “Pumpkin” O’Neal, 48, faces two counts of the same charge and Marilyn Denise “Peaches” Brown, 54, faces one count.

Brown allegedly brought what she thought was heroin into the jail on Feb. 15 and O’Neal on Jan. 29 and March 2, the indictment says.

O’Neal’s lawyer, John Lynch, said she is scheduled to plead guilty Friday. Brown has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to go to trial Sept. 21. Her lawyer did not return a message seeking comment.

City records show O’Neal has worked for the Department of Corrections since 2005, Moore since 2006 and Brown since 2008. City officials did not respond to a reporter’s inquiry about their employment status.

Copyright 2009 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Inc.

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU