Dyersburg State Gazette: Local News: Dyersburg man arrested for smuggling contraband into Lake County courthouse

This illegal contraband was intended for a Tennessee Department of Corrections inmate who was at the Lake County courthouse for a criminal case. Two suspects were questioned about placing the contraband underneath a sink accessible to the inmates. One was released while Walter Livingston, 20, was arrested and charged with conspiracy to introduce contraband to a penal facility. The items include eight pre-paid cell phones, three packs of marijuana weighing 8 ounces, two packs of tobacco weighing 3 ounces, one MP3 player, three cell phone chargers and two packs of rolling papers.

One person was arrested on Tuesday by the Lake County Sheriff's Department for conspiracy to introduce contraband to a penal facility.

The Tennessee Department of Corrections had transported inmates to the Lake County Courthouse for court cases they were involved in.

A correctional officer did a routine sweep of the restroom, which is inside the jury room where the inmates were being held. The officer's search of the area turned up what authorities determined to be a large amount of contraband that was hidden under the restroom sink.

Livingston

The contraband was concealed inside a Sonic Drive-In sack and wrapped in black duct tape.

The package contained eight pre-paid cell phones, three packs of marijuana weighing 8 ounces, two packs of tobacco weighing 3 ounces, one MP3 player, three cell phone chargers and two packs of rolling papers.

The corrections officer made Sgt. Danny Tippit Jr. and Lt. Joe Vernon of the Lake County Sheriff's Department aware of the contraband.

Tippit and Vernon were given a description by a witness of two possible suspects who were in the area before circuit court started. One was a black male wearing a multicolored shirt and the other a black female wearing a red shirt.

The witness stated the two suspects had entered the courthouse carrying a Sonic sack. They asked a court official where they could sit down and eat their breakfast. The two suspects entered the jury room with the sack and exited the room before the inmates arrived.

Tippit and Vernon found the suspects in the courtroom as court was in session. The witness made a positive identification of the two and they were questioned separately about the contraband items found in the restroom.

The male subject, identified as Walter Livingston, 20, Hull Street in Dyersburg, denied any knowledge of the contraband items and could not explain why he was seen entering the jury room with a Sonic sack or what happened to it. The female also denied any knowledge of the contraband or the Sonic sack.

She was released after further questioning. However, Livingston was arrested and charged with conspiracy to introduce contraband to a penal facility because the intended contraband was meant for one of the inmates.

The female and the inmate the contraband was intended for are also facing the same charge.

Livingston will appear in Lake County General Sessions Court on Thursday, June 25, at 9 a.m.

I can hardly wait to see what will happen in this case!

-- Posted by chief_ty20 on Thu, Jun 25, 2009, at 12:08 PM

He will go to prison,plus the feds might jump on him.I think the correctional officer should be

recognized publicly and given a reward of some

type.But,then again,correctional officers seldom

are recognized for exceptional performance.

-- Posted by lloyd49 on Thu, Jun 25, 2009, at 1:11 PM

Correctional Officers have to put up with the scum the judicial system puts in prisons.And sadly are looked down on by the public and other law agency's.The inmates have more rights than the Officers.They put their lives on the line every time they walk through the gate.I commend that Officer for a job well done,Thank You All for keeping the public safe from these law breakers.

-- Posted by Harleylady on Thu, Jun 25, 2009, at 2:06 PM

Now that was just stupid!

-- Posted by disowned&proud on Thu, Jun 25, 2009, at 2:59 PM

ou are all full of bull. Half the items that get into the prisons come from the guards now continue to give them a round of applouse. LOL

-- Posted by tstegallm on Thu, Jun 25, 2009, at 7:55 PM

It is true that their is corrupt officers in the TDOC,but that does not mean all of them are. Just as with any law enforcement agencies a bad few makes it tough for all.If the work of the good officers were appreciated by the public and administration we may see fewer bad ones.And eventually the corrupt ones will be caught.

-- Posted by Harleylady on Thu, Jun 25, 2009, at 9:33 PM

DOES THIS COURT HOUSE HAVE METAL DETECTORS? HOW DOES 9 CELL PHONES AND AN IPOD GET THRU ? GOOD THING IT WASN'T A KNIFE OR GUN . BETTER QUESTION THREE PACKS OF ROLLING PAPERS, AND EIGHT OUNCES OF POT ? HOPE THEY ASKED SONIC FOR EXTRA NAPKINS TOO !

-- Posted by BIZCUITZNGRAVY on Thu, Jun 25, 2009, at 10:38 PM

The CO or Corporal responsible for the transportation of the inmates works for a sub-standard pay scale compared to the responsibilities and duties he/she are demanded to perform daily; sometimes even required to work extra shifts due to manpower shortages. It cost more to house a convicted inmate then we pay these dedicated men & women of the TDOC per year.

This is a shame on all Tennesseans!

No doubt the Officer may already be on someone's hit list for spoiling an obviously significant smuggling attempt, which may have been a normal route for much of the contraband inside lockup.

Our concept of the penal system needs to change. Our support needs to change. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the general bases of all of the convicts' rights, a Federal Act which needs to be amended to address convicts.

Call it 'TUFF LOVE' but there are far too many freedoms inside. I say time should be hard time, long lines and work until they don't have the energy to scheme or the desire to go back to prison. No one wants to go to begin with; but once they acclimate to institutional life, they really have it kind of nice there. Air conditioned cell, free TV, 3 free meals a day, a full legal library, free electricity, full gymnasium and recreation services.

If the officer that made that bust has all of those amenities, I'll kiss the south end of northbound mule. My money says he struggles every month to meet his obligations.

That's why I resigned.

-- Posted by Tennessee_Rambler on Fri, Jun 26, 2009, at 8:16 AM

The article didn't say what Sonic sold this stuff. I didn't see any of those items on our Sonic menu. Is this something new? Man! Some people have all the luck. More to the point: I think we don't deserve to be free. Look at the way people behave. Our society is made up of a collection of n'er do well, lying, stealing, law-breaking low lifes. Maybe the communist takeover now in progress at the federal level will finish off what "We the People" couldn't do to the Constitution and the hope of liberty and justice for all. Our society is at war with itself, and the barbarians are winning.

-- Posted by A Citizen on Fri, Jun 26, 2009, at 9:37 AM

i know of one person a few years back that was a jailer in another county that was bringig cigaretts into the jail for inmates and you know what she got when she got caught doing it?fired and thats all.for my opinion i think there should have been charges pressed against her.

-- Posted by snooks on Fri, Jun 26, 2009, at 10:38 AM

YEAH, I HAD AN GUY BOAST THAT A GUARD LET HIM IN WITH POUND OF WEED, IT WAS TIME TO QUIT AFTER HEARING THAT, ...MOST CO'S ARE GOOD, BUT THE PROBLEMS LIES WITH THE ONES WHO LET THESES INMATES IN WITH STUFF...

-- Posted by DMASE on Fri, Jun 26, 2009, at 12:45 PM

Most of your good deputies and policeman were correctional officers. There have been several correctionsl officers come out of the Dyer County jail to make good policeman. It is a hard job and only a certian few can step up to the plate.

-- Posted by speaking out on Fri, Jun 26, 2009, at 3:09 PM

Do you agree DMASE?

-- Posted by speaking out on Fri, Jun 26, 2009, at 5:55 PM

Common sense tells me if he did not smell food in that bag, he KNEW SOMETHING WAS UP.....

-- Posted by CitizenTn on Fri, Jun 26, 2009, at 7:49 PM

First of all the "correctional officer" who discovered the contraband is Transportaion CPL.Shawn Morris. He notified another Transportation CPL. who helped escort the state inmates to court, then LT.Vernon and SGT.Tippet were asked to step out of the court room and verify what CPL. Morris had found. Yes the state correction's employee's are under paid, and yes there are some who are "dirty". Just as in any other law enforcement! State correctional employee's dont "just" deal with these CONVICTED FELONS while enroute to the local jail, or just while they are awaiting trial. These employee's that are UNDER staffed, and UNDER paid deal with these FELONS 24/7 so that the average "law abiding" citizen can sleep at night knowing one less criminal will be able to ROB,RAPE,or HARM them or thier families.And yes it could have been much worse there could have been weapons hidden for these inmates.But thank God WE ALL WENT HOME that night to our families, from a very "thankless" job! HOOORAH CPL. MORRIS,JOB WELL DONE! And by the way, this state correctional employee can at least count.....there were (9) cell phones!

-- Posted by 1whowasthere on Fri, Jun 26, 2009, at 10:39 PM

I AGREE TOTALLY WITH YA SPEAKING OUT..UR DEAD ON THE MONEY.....MOST OF THE GUYS AND GIRLS DOWN THERE ARE COMMITTED TO DOING A GOOD JOB.., BUT THAT ONE CORRUPTED OFFICER THAT SHOULD BE BACK THERE WITH THE INMATES, MAKE IT HARD ON ALL OF THE GOOD ONES

-- Posted by DMASE on Sat, Jun 27, 2009, at 4:12 PM