Niagara Gazette
NIAGARA FALLS, NY — An unidentified package of food was the contraband a suspended correction officer was caught bringing into the Niagara County Jail.
Further details of the incident, which led to the arrest of John Dale, have been released on the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office’s press information site.
The sheriff’s office first received complaints of Dale passing contraband to jail inmates on July 29.
An investigation was undertaken by sheriff’s officials and members of the Drug Task Force. On Aug. 11, a surveillance team watched a woman walk up to the front door of Dale’s Niagara Falls home and hand him a package. Dale was then observed taking the package to the Niagara County Jail. It was then determined Dale had passed off food from the package to an inmate in the jail.
The report did not indicate what kind of food Dale brought into the jail. Dale was reportedly paid $20 to bring the contraband into the jail.
Dale, 33, of 9226 Cayuga Drive, Niagara Falls, was later arrested on charges of third-degree bribe receiving, second-degree promoting prison contraband and official misconduct. He is currently free on $2,500 bail.
A hearing for Dale was postponed on Thursday after prosecutors told Lockport Town Justice Cheryl Antkowiak that they are preparing to present the case to the grand jury.
Antkowiak scheduled a hearing for an update on the status of the case on Sept. 17.
Sheriff Jim Voutour told WIVB TV that Dale, who joined the sheriff’s office in 2013, had a “spotless record” prior to this incident.
Dale has been suspended without pay pending a departmental investigation and hearing.