Two prisoners indicted after livestreaming from local jail
TEXARKANA, Texas — Two Arkansas prisoners who were allegedly caught livestreaming to social media from the Bowie County jail on illegally possessed cellphones in August were indicted Thursday by a grand jury.
Live streaming refers to broadcasting in real time on the internet.
Devonte Barker, 30, and Dean Cage Jr., 28, were being housed in the Bowie County jail via a contract with the Arkansas Department of Corrections that has since been canceled. A lieutenant working in the jail received a call Aug. 23 from police in Hope, Arkansas, informing them that Barker and Cage were allegedly posting to Facebook Live.
Inmates and detainees in jails and prisons are not permitted to possess cellphones.
The information from Hope police led jail staff to search the cells and pods where the two men were being housed. Correctional officers allegedly found a small bag of tobacco, a charging block for a cellphone, rolling papers and a pipe in Cage’s personal property. A small bag of tobacco and a cellphone charger were allegedly found among Barker’s personal property.
In the common area of the pod, officers recovered three LG smart phones, a Samsung phone and a small amount of a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana.
Both men have been charged with possessing prohibited items in a correctional facility with prior felony convictions.
Cage is currently being held in a unit of the Arkansas Department of Corrections in Marianna, Arkansas, where he is serving time for 2018 convictions in Hempstead County for delivery of a controlled substance, furnishing prohibited articles in a correctional facility, residential burglary, first-degree battery, commercial burglary, criminal mischief, possession of a firearm by a felon and aggravated assault. ADC’s website lists Cage’s sentence as 60 years.
Dean is currently being held in a unit of the Arkansas Department of Corrections in Dermott, Arkansas, where he is serving time for 2017 convictions in Hempstead County for murder, terroristic act, aggravated assault, delivery of a controlled substance, failure to appear, possession of a firearm by a felon and battery. ADC’s website lists Dean’s sentence as 30 years.