Lexington woman, guard charged with smuggling phone hidden in food tray into jail
A Lexington County woman has been charged with conspiring with an inmate to convince a guard to smuggle an iPhone into the the Lexington County jail.
Skyy La’Tasia Glover, 22, was charged by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division with criminal conspiracy on Friday, March 15. Also charged was the Lexington County Detention Center officer, James Anthony Johnson, who delivered the iPhone 7 Plus and a charger concealed in a food tray, according to SLED. Johnson, 49, was charged with criminal conspiracy and furnishing contraband on Monday, March 18, 2024. The press release from SLED describes Johnson as a “former” officer.
Both were booked at the Lexington County Detention Center.
Warrants released by SLED say that after a review of phone and video calls made from the jail, investigators determined that the unnamed inmate conspired with Glover to convince Johnson to deliver the phone. The inmate confessed that he persuaded Johnson to “bring him an iPhone in return for setting him up with Glover,” warrants said.
The warrant also alleged that that Johnson admitted to communicating with Glover over text message.
The case will be prosecuted by the 11th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, according to SLED.
Cellphones are a persistent problem inside of jails and prisons across South Carolina. Since the beginning of the year, 10 employees of the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Richland County have been arrested, the majority for bringing in contraband or having inappropriate relationships with inmates.