JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has arrested a corrections officer on allegations he was providing marijuana to an inmate at the Duval County Jail.
Police arrested 23-year-old Maurice Boykins Jr., after an internal investigation revealed he had been providing narcotics to an inmate.
The inmate told police August 7 that over the three and a half years he has been housed at the Duval County Pre-Trial Detention Facility he and Officer Boykins became friends, according to a Jacksonville Sheriff's Office arrest report.
The inmate told police the first time the two interacted, Boykins asked him if he needed a lighter. According to the report, the inmate said he told Boykins yes. A confidential source then brought the lighter to the jail, passed it to Boykins, according to the report, and Boykins then gave the lighter to the inmate.
After giving him the lighter, Boykins then allegedly asked the inmate if he was a "burner," the report said this is slang for someone who uses marijuana. The inmate said he told Boykins yes. At this time, the report says, Boykins told the inmate that if he needed something he would have his people get it to the jail and then he would get it to the inmate.
The report said the inmate told police Boykins delivered marijuana to him on three separate occasions. The inmate told police he paid Boykins $150 for each delivery.
The report described how the marijuana was brought into the jail:
A confidential source would go to visitation when Officer Boykins was working. The source would have marijuana concealed on their person and would go to the fifth floor control room where Boykins would be working. The source would go into the visitation room and wait on the inmate. When the inmate enters the room they would give Officer Boykins a "thumbs up" that the confidential source had a delivery for them. The source would then wait for Officer Boykins to be alone in the control room. When he was alone, the confidential course would go to the window where they would pass $150 and marijuana to Boykins. After passing the contraband and money the inmate and source would continue visiting. Once the visitation has concluded, the inmate and Boykins would meet up so Boykins could give the inmate the marijuana.
Police conducted an undercover operation at the jail August 14. The report said the used a confidential informant who was given a small bag of contraband and $150 of marked JSO funds. The informant was then taken to the jail where they visited with the cooperating inmate.
The informant did just as they had done before, the report says they went to the fifth floor visitation area, where Boykins was working.
They checked in with Boykins and went to the visitation area where they met with the inmate.
The confidential source then walked up to the window of the control room, the report says, and passed the bag of contraband and the money to Officer Boykins.
Boykins then went outside the control room to where the inmate was and handed him the bag of contraband.
After being given the contraband, the report says the inmate went back to visiting with the confidential informant.
The report says Boykins then went out to his vehicle before retuning to the jail.
When Boykins left the jail later that evening, he was detained by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Integrity Unit.
During questioning, the report says, Boykins said he wanted to be cooperative. He told police where he had concealed the $150 from the contraband exchange. Boykins was arrested and charged with unlawful compensation or reward for official behavior, a second-degree felony.
First Coast News