In a Friday morning press conference, Sheriff David Taylor announced the results of a SLED investigation into a report of a planned blackmail scheme by a jail inmate.
Taylor said a jailer was informed by another inmate that the woman might try to blackmail the jail administrator in an effort to have her sentence reduced. He said an investigation into this was initiated by his office on Feb. 20 but when he received the statements taken by investigators at the beginning of the week he called in SLED.
Taylor said SLED’s investigation, which was completed Thursday, found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing on the part of Capt. Jeff Lawson, the jail administrator. He said the investigation determined that the female inmate had given false information in an attempt to claim that Lawson had acted inappropriately.
Despite being cleared of criminal wrongdoing, Taylor said Lawson is facing disciplinary action because of his failure to follow proper jail policy in dealing with the inmate. Taylor would not go into any specifics beyond saying the policy involved the requirement that female inmates always be dealt with in the presence of a female jailer.
As to what disciplinary action might be taken against Lawson, Taylor declined to answer on the grounds that it’s a personnel matter. He did say, however, the matter would be dealt with by himself and Chief Deputy Perry Haney.
No action will be taken against the female inmate who Taylor said is currently serving a 90-day sentence.
Post a Comment
