Jail officer fired for providing contraband to an inmate, Mecklenburg sheriff says
A Mecklenburg County jail officer was fired Wednesday after warrants were issued for his arrest for giving and selling tobacco products, a cellphone and alcohol to an inmate, the Sheriff’s Office told the Observer.
An investigation into allegations against Marc Antoine found that his actions violated North Carolina general statues, a Sheriff’s Office news release said.
Antoine is charged with felony providing contraband to an inmate, felony giving/selling a phone electronic device to inmate and misdemeanor giving/selling tobacco/vapor product to an inmate, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
“I am extremely disappointed in the actions and conduct of this officer,” Sheriff Garry McFadden said in the release.
Antoine’s firing comes weeks after the chief jail inspector for the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services found that staffing issues, some driven by COVID-19 outbreaks, contributed to conditions at the jail did not meet some “minimum standards” for confinement facilities, jeopardizing the safety of inmates and staff.
As of Tuesday morning, the uptown jail had 1,347 inmates, sheriff’s data show. A preliminary NCDHHS report last month suggested the jail reduce its population to under 1,000 so it can be managed by current staffing levels.
The jail also had 250 of the 470 total jobs unfilled — including 191 detention officer openings — according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The findings in the NCDHSS report aren’t the first to raise safety issues at the Mecklenburg County Jail.
Government documents obtained by the Observer in September showed that the jail violated state regulations designed to ensure prisoner safety in connection with the back-to-back deaths of inmates Karon Golightly, 18, and John Devin Haley, 41, last spring.
Over the past several weeks, the Sheriff’s Office has taken measures to maintain safety and security at the detention center only to discover many of its efforts “may have been compromised,” McFadden said.
This story was originally published January 13, 2022 at 3:31 PM.
