County suspects jail supervisor of smuggling ‘contraband’

A Cuyahoga County Jail supervisor is on paid leave during an investigation into contraband smuggling in the jail, according to a county spokeswoman.

The county placed Cpl. Ebony Haines, who worked as a corrections officer for the past six years, on paid administrative leave July 16 while the Cuyahoga County Sheriff investigates, spokeswoman Mary Louise Madigan said.

Madigan said she would not release any other information, including what “contraband” Haines is accused of smuggling and when the incident under investigation happened. The county has also not responded to a public records request for information regarding the case.

Brian Rothenberg, a spokesman for the United Autoworkers union, which represents jail corporals, did not return a message seeking comment on Haines’ behalf.

Drug and contraband smuggling into the jail, both by officers and others who work in the jail, is a longstanding issue.

The county sheriff is also investigating an incident involving an employee of the Trinity Service Group company that provides food service for inmates at the jail. Madigan previously said the incident involved contraband smuggling, and a Trinity spokesman said the case involved an accusation of drug smuggling. Cuyahoga County officials have so far refused to provide documents and information on the case.

The employee was fired, not for drug smuggling but for “breaking a company rule,” according to the Trinity spokesman. He declined to say why the employee was fired, but said that the company does not believe the employee smuggled drugs into the jail.

In August 2019, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office charged two county jail officers and an inmate with conspiring to bring drugs, cellphones and vape pens into the jail. Two inmates survived an overdose on the drugs the officers brought into the jail, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors on Tuesday charged a second inmate in that case.