Exclusive details: RCSO detention center officer arrested for providing contraband to inmates, Sheriff says
Angel Willette, 26, was employed at the Rutherford County jail when he allegedly sold cigars and CBD vape products to two inmates
A Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) Detention Center employee has been arrested and charged with providing contraband to inmates, authorities confirmed this week.
Angel Ariel Willette, 26, was employed at the detention center when he allegedly sold cigars and CBD vape products to two inmates. Rutherford County records show he was hired in March. An email I received from the detention center on March 17 showed he was “training.” Less than two months later he was arrested and fired. The incident occurred on Monday, May 6, leading to the immediate termination of Willette’s employment that same day, Sheriff Aaron Ellenburg told me.
An arrest warrant was issued on Thursday, May 9, charging Willette with providing tobacco/vapes to an inmate, a misdemeanor offense. RCSO deputies arrested Willette at his residence, then transported him for processing at the detention center and to appear before a magistrate, Sheriff Ellenburg told Cops & Congress on Thursday.
"We take incidents such as this very seriously. This is an insult to the devoted detention officers who come into the center every day and serve with dignity and honor in a difficult and sometimes volatile environment,” Rutherford County Sheriff Aaron Ellenburg said in a statement to Cops & Congress.
The inmates he allegedly sold to were Alberto Alvarez and Ty’j Cooks, according to the The Daily Courier. Both are facing unrelated drug trafficking charges. Alvarez has been in custody for 105 days, and Cooks for 72 days, according to the latest RCSO PCL (prisoner confinement list), I received yesterday. No new charges from this incident are listed for either of them on the NC Judicial branch website.
The RCSO detention center media arrest report shows Willette was in jail for less than two hours before being released on May 9. He is scheduled to appear in court on July 17, according to state judicial records. The case underscores the ongoing challenges in maintaining security and integrity within correctional facilities. The law has been in effect for just under 10 years.
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