Former BSO Guard Arrested In Jail Probe

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) - Relatives and girlfriends of inmates at the Broward County Jail knew who to go to if they wanted to smuggle in a cellphone or a photograph for an inmate -- a detention deputy known as Mr. Brown.

For about 16 months -- beginning in June 2009 -- investigators say Mr. Brown ran a successful side business meeting with clients in the parking lot of the jail while in uniform, accepting hundreds of dollars as payment and carrying the contraband into the facility.

On Tuesday, Mr. Brown, aka Detention Deputy Keith McPhee, was arrested at his home for introduction of contraband into detention facility and official misconduct.

"Another employee has betrayed his badge and sold himself out," Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti said at a news conference. "Which again, there's no room for those people here and we are gonna clean our own house."

Detective Joe Kessling investigated the case and said McPhee's actions were purely a result of greed.

"He was making a lot of money," Kessling said.

McPhee worked for BSO for just less than 4 years. He resigned last November saying he was "seeking other employment opportunities." Lamberti said a resignation was not going to spare McPhee prosecution.

"Just because you resigned that does not mean we're not going to arrest you," Lamberti said.

McPhee is just the latest BSO employee arrested in a months-long investigation.

Four other former Broward Sheriff's Office employees are accused of smuggling cell phones, drugs and money into two county jails and giving the contraband to inmates.

In one case, a former detention deputy is accused of having sex with an inmate in a storage closet. Two other former employees are accused of carrying on romantic relationships with inmates.

Former detention deputies Salisia Pascoe and Roderick Lopez along with jail technician Kiara Walker and nurse Carline Jean face criminal charges.

Three inmates also face charges — Dietrick Johnson, Diamond Scott and Norman Terrelonge.

BSO said they began investigating the cases last July after uncovering contraband in the Main Jail in Fort Lauderdale and at the Joseph V. Conte Jail in Pompano Beach.

"When one of your fellow deputies betrays you and develops a relationship with an inmate like this and brings in contraband it puts all of our safety at risk," said Detention Director Lt. Col. Kim Spadaro.

Spadaro added that detention deputies have a dangerous job. She said cases like McPhee's only add to the danger.

"You're looking next to the person that's working beside you, that your life is dependent upon and you don't know if you can trust them," Spadaro said.

Lamberti said the overwhelming majority of the jail's 5,600 employees work hard and do the right thing. But a few don't.

BSO said they planned to make a number of security changes to prevent the issue from arising again. For instance, they plan to screen all employees like they do with visitors. They also plan to conduct searches of employee lounges and kitchens and increase the number of K-9 searches of inmates and their cells for contraband.

Investigators also plan to restrict detention deputy movement among floors in the jail and put surveillance cameras on the outside of the building. The cameras are a reaction to a deputy who is accused of meeting someone in the parking lot of the jail and taking money to deliver contraband to an inmate, BSO said.

In one specific case in the Main Jail in November, former Deputy Pascoe is accused of giving a cell phone to a murder suspect then having sex with him in a closet.

Former nurse Jean is also accused of giving a cell phone to an inmate — Norman Terrelonge – then "sexting" nude photos to him.

Former technician Walker also stands accused of providing a cell phone to an inmate — Johnson — carrying on hundreds of phone conversations with him, even while she worked at the jail. Walker and Johnson also exchanged "explicit text messages regarding sex acts and Walker sent close-up photos of female genitalia," investigators said.

The case of Dietrick Johnson is especially disturbing for BSO, because he was sentenced last month to 50 years in prison for being part of a group that carried out violent armed robberies at pharmacies in 2007.

The group has also been looked at in connection with the murder of Broward Sheriff's Sergeant Chris Reyka in a Walgreen's parking lot in August 2007.

BSO investigators said Walker knew about Johnson's past.

"(Walker) was well aware that he was a very dangerous individual and she knew he was arrested for multiple armed robberies," Det. Joe Kessling said at a January news conference.

Another former detention deputy — Roderick Lopez — is accused of smuggling in food, batteries and a cell phone that he gave to inmates. On one instance, Lopez is accused of meeting an inmate's girlfriend at a nearby McDonald's and receiving $50 to deliver items to an inmate.

Investigators called McPhee one of their "many targets." They said the investigation continues.

"Their attitude is get every last one of them," Spadaro said. "The investigation will not be closed until we're satisfied that there's no one else that's doing this."