JASPER, Fla. (WTXL) — A Hamilton Correctional officer was arrested Tuesday on charges of unlawful compensation, money laundering, and introduction of contraband.
According to an affidavit from the Florida Department of Corrections Office of Inspector General, they learned in September of 2019 that 56-year-old Carrie Gill, of Live Oak, was selling contraband items to inmates and being paid through Cash App money transfers.
An inmate told inspectors that the officer provided cigarettes and other items to inmates who work on her internal grounds squad, according to the arrest report.
Gill was paid through Cash App, which uses screen names to transfer the money, concealing the user identity's.
Documents say , the OIG subpoenaed Gill's personal identifications through Square Inc., which facilitates the transfers for Cash App.
The subpoenaed results showed she used the screen name “Sara Jane” and was being paid by various sources.
The affidavit states that identifying the identity of all transfers with their additional, existing subpoenas would be difficult; however, two transfers were made by a relative of an inmate on Jan. 18, 2019, and Jan. 30, 2019, for $350 and $500.
The inmate denied knowledge of the transfers.
A search of the FDC databases led inspectors to discover the inmate was found with a contraband cell phone in March 2019.
According to the affidavit, the phone was submitted for extraction, which showed several Facebook instant messages between the officer and the inmate’s phone, including a picture of Gill in her FDC uniform. The image matched her Facebook profile picture.
Another inmate, who was involved in an unrelated case, told inspectors, that Gillworked weekends and would go to the parking lot and return inside without passing through security checkpoints. The report stated this allowed her to bring in contraband.
“The FDC Office of Inspector General is responsible for ensuring all reports of misconduct are investigated,” the office said in a statement. “Any employee found to have acted inappropriately or illegally faces disciplinary action up to and including dismissal and arrest. The FDC has zero tolerance for staff who act inappropriately and contrary to our core values: respect, integrity, courage, selfless service and compassion.”
Gill was charged with two counts of unlawful compensation, two counts of money laundering, and one count of introduction of contraband.
