Sumter County detention officer arrested for jail contraband scheme, sheriff says

A central Georgia detention officer could face a decade in prison after he was charged as part of an investigation into contraband at the Sumter County Jail.

In a Facebook post, Sumter County Sheriff Eric D. Bryant said that the investigation began when his staff conducted a search at the jail and found cell phones, cigarettes, and handmade weapons.

Last week, Bryant said investigators arrested Officer Javian Quintrell Blake, accusing him of buying phones and cigarettes and smuggling them into the jail for payment.

Under Georgia law, a guilty verdict for the felony charge of possessing or procuring items prohibited by inmates has a mandatory 10-year sentence.

"I also take this crime very seriously. The security of my staff, as well as the inmates, is of the utmost importance to me," Bryant wrote.

Bryant says the investigation remains ongoing and "other arrests are imminent."