By Tim Pratt
The Capital
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A former county corrections officer pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges stemming from a contraband smuggling operation at Jennifer Road Detention Center in Annapolis.
James Newsome, 25, of St. Mary’s County, is the fourth and final former corrections officer to plead guilty in Anne Arundel Circuit Court to charges stemming from contraband smuggling at Jennifer Road Detention Center.
Assistant State’s Attorney Virginia Miles said she will request a sentence of three years in prison, with all but nine months suspended, when Newsome is sentenced on Jan. 25.
Newsome pleaded guilty Tuesday to bribery of a public employee and delivering contraband to a person in a place of confinement.
Miles said an inmate approached jail officials in late December or early January and said he had information on “dirty” officers at Jennifer Road. The inmate didn’t ask for anything in return for his cooperation, Miles said.
Corrections officer Catherine Windsor, 27, of Lothian, began smuggling cigarettes, tobacco and other contraband into the jail in January, Miles said. The inmate promised Windsor money and said he could help improve her credit score in exchange for her help, Miles said.
Newsome carpooled with Windsor, Miles said, and in late January he agreed to begin smuggling contraband into the jail, too. He also was promised money for his actions, Miles said.
Miles said Newsome agreed to smuggle tobacco and fast food into the jail for the inmate. He also discussed payment with the inmate and gave inmates permission to smoke inside the facility, Miles said.
Newsome gave the inmate his phone number and suggested locations where contraband could be hidden, Miles said.
On Feb. 13, Windsor went to the parking lot of Modell’s Sporting Goods on Jennifer Road to meet an undercover county police officer who was posing as the inmate’s friend.
As police watched the meeting between Windsor and the undercover officer, they observed Newsome providing “surveillance” for Windsor in another vehicle, Miles said.
The undercover officer gave Windsor money for the contraband she already had smuggled into the jail, Miles said. Windsor then left the parking lot with Newsome following in his own vehicle.
The next day, Windsor delivered two bags of loose cigarettes to the inmate, Miles said, but the inmate could only conceal one of them. The inmate gave one of the bags back to Windsor and asked if Newsome could hide it in a previously-discussed location, Miles said.
Investigators set up surveillance cameras and captured Newsome placing a bag of 20 cigarettes in a Shop Vac in a janitorial closet, Miles said. That same day, Newsome and the inmate discussed Newsome smuggling vodka, drugs, cigarettes, loose tobacco and Whoppers from Burger King – with no onions – into the facility, Miles said.
Two days later, Newsome met with the undercover officer in the Modell’s parking lot and was paid $500, Miles said. Newsome spoke with the inmate again that evening and told him he had been paid, but couldn’t make the drug delivery because he couldn’t reach the friend from whom he was supposed to get the drugs, Miles said.
Newsome agreed to make the drop on March 2 in a laundry room, Miles said. The men then walked over to the laundry room to pick a spot to leave the contraband, Miles said.
On March 2, Newsome told the inmate he couldn’t deliver the contraband in the laundry room because workers were in there, Miles said.
The next day, security cameras captured images of Newsome placing items in a box under a sink in the laundry room, Miles said. Investigators looked in the box and found three bags of loose cigarettes, a lighter and a chicken Caesar wrap, Miles said.
On March 4, the inmate asked Newsome about the drugs and vodka they previously discussed, Miles said. Newsome told the inmate Windsor was supposed to be taking care of it, Miles said.
In April, Newsome, Windsor and two other corrections officers, who were charged in connection with separate contraband smuggling operations with the inmate, were indicted. None of the four remain employed by the county.
Newsome’s defense attorney, Thomas Miller, on Tuesday described Newsome as “hopelessly naive” and said he was “entrapped” by Windsor. He also said Newsome was the “least culpable” of the four who were indicted, and denied Newsome was involved in plans to smuggle drugs and alcohol into the jail.
Windsor was sentenced in September to five years in prison, with all but one year suspended, plus probation after pleading guilty to her role in the operation. Circuit Court Judge Michael Wachs ordered Windsor to serve the first 90 days in jail and the rest of her sentence on house arrest.
Former corrections officer Grayling Jackson, 59, of Severn, received a three-year sentence in September, with all but six months suspended after he pleaded guilty. And former corrections officer Kenyatta Trotter, 42, of Baltimore was sentenced in November to 12 years behind bars, with all but three months suspended, following his guilty plea.
County jails Superintendent Terry Kokolis said arrangements were made for Windsor, Trotter and Jackson to serve their sentences at facilities outside of the county. The same arrangements will be made for Newsome if he receives jail time, Kokolis said.
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