2 jailers fired, arrested in smuggling case

Two Oklahoma County detention officers have been arrested and fired after an investigation into the smuggling of drugs, cellphones and other contraband into jail inmates.

Smith Akhig be ,31, of Oklahoma City, was arrested Saturday and K eon iD am as ,23, of Midwest City, was arrested Tuesday, the jail announced in a news release.

The arrests are another embarrassment for a trust that took over operation of the overcrowded 13-story facility on July 1.

Backers had said the trust would improve jail conditions. Instead the trust has faced many of the same problems that sheriffs have dealt with since the jail opened in 1991 as well as new ones arising from the pandemic.

Akhigbe admitted to regularly being paid $500 per package he delivered to the j ail, according to his arrest affidavit. He admitted being paid "a few thousand dollars" to smuggle in several packages Saturday. He said he concealed the packages in a mattress pad before passing the contraband to inmates.

Seized Saturday were several cell phones, approximately 108 grams of methamphetamine, marijuana and a large amount of tobacco, according to the arrest affidavit. He abandoned his post Saturday after the smuggling was discovered, according to the affidavit.

Dam as was arrested after an inform ant reported he smuggled marijuana, liquor and tobacco to inmates in a mop bucket, according to his arrest affidavit. The informant reported Damas told him it cost $1,500 "to bring a package to me and he only takes cash."

Investigators reported finding marijuana in Dam as' car in the employee parking lot.

Damas at first denied all allegations but said after the marijuana was found that the contraband had been left on his porch. He refused to identify whom t he package was for because he said he was afraid of the inmate, according to the affidavit.