Arkansas officer arrested for smuggling drugs into jail

PINE BLUFF (AP) — An Arkansas correctional officer has been accused of smuggling drugs into a county jail.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office says 36-year-old corrections officer Lecora Rene Hawkins was arrested on Friday. Records at the W.C. "Dub" Brassell Adult Detention Center indicate she is accused of furnishing prohibited articles and possession of a controlled substance at a correctional facility.

The sheriff's office says Hawkins' arrest followed an undercover investigation within the detention facility and that more arrests are possible.

Sheriff Lafayette Woods Jr. says bringing contraband into the detention facility threatens the safety and security of the facility as well as officers and detainees and that officials will pursue the maximum penalty for anyone who violates jail policies concerning contraband.

If convicted, Hawkins faces between 5 and 20 years in state prison.