Department of Corrections officer arrested on bribery, conspiracy charges | The State

An S.C. Department of Corrections officer is facing charges of bribery and conspiracy after she was allegedly caught attempting to bring tobacco into one of the state’s prisons.

Revella Marquita Rodriguez, of Rock Hill, was arrested on charges of misconduct in office, conspiracy and public official bribes. Andrei Rodriguez, also of Rock Hill, is named as a co-defendant in the arrest warrant and faces conspiracy charges.

Revella Rodriguez is accused of meeting on Monday with an undercover office of the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office and with Andrei Rodriguez “to receive items deemed as contraband with the intent to introduce the contraband into Kershaw Correctional Institution,” the warrant said.

She also allegedly agreed to receive money in exchange for bringing in the contraband, according to the warrant. Revella Rodriguez had been working with the state corrections department since January and was assigned to Kershaw Correctional. She was fired Tuesday from agency.

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The Department of Corrections has been struggling with keeping contraband out of its prisons and has, in recent years, pushed for help from state government to buy technology that can aid in their efforts.

In September, two correctional officers were arrested on misconduct charges for allegedly allowing inmates at Broad River Correctional Institution to go outside to retrieve cell phones, tools and tobacco.