SC prison guard charged with smuggling drugs behind bars is fired, officials say

A woman who was a guard at a South Carolina prison was arrested on drug trafficking charges, among other crimes, the South Carolina Department of Corrections said Monday.

Ashley Nickole Williams was fired after she was arrested Saturday, Department of Corrections officials said in a news release.

The 33-year-old Greenwood resident was a correctional officer at McCormick Correctional Institution, according to the release.

When entering the prison on Oct. 30, Williams was searched and it was discovered she had four packages with substances that tested positive for methamphetamines, marijuana, and cocaine hidden in food containers, according to arrest warrants.

Williams was charged with trafficking meth, possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute, possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, furnishing contraband to a prisoner, and misconduct in office, according to the release.

On the misconduct in office charge, Williams is accused of having “corrupt intent,” and “committing acts in violation of her good faith, honesty, and accountability of public trust as a state correctional officer,” according to the arrest warrant.

A bond hearing was scheduled for Nov. 1, and Williams is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 4, 2021, McCormick County court records show.

McCormick Correctional Institution is a high-security prison “designed primarily to house violent offenders with longer sentences, and inmates who exhibit behavioral problems,” according to the Department of Corrections. It’s about 80 miles west of Columbia.

This story was originally published November 3, 2020 at 11:00 AM.

Noah Feit

The State

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Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription