Former South Carolina Department of Corrections Certified Nurse Assistant Jameelah Fortune has been sentenced to 10 years for smuggling drugs into a state prison and engaging in a relationship with an inmate. Judge Heath Taylor ordered seven years of incarceration followed by three years of probation.
Fortune pleaded guilty on July 28, with sentencing deferred until today. The investigation began when correctional staff seized a contraband cellphone from inmate Ancel Harris. The device contained thousands of messages between Harris and Fortune, as well as other evidence related to criminal activity. Harris has also been charged for his alleged involvement and is awaiting trial.
Attorney General Alan Wilson commented, “My office will continue to work closely with the Department of Corrections to keep contraband out of our prisons, whether it’s drugs or cell phones that inmates use to continue committing crimes while they’re behind bars.”
Joel E. Anderson, Interim Director of the S.C. Department of Corrections, stated, “People who are sworn to uphold the law should be held to a higher standard when they break that trust. This woman conspired with inmates to commit crimes and flood our institutions with deadly illegal drugs. After today, she will have an inmate number instead of an employee badge.”
Special Agent Trevor Sherbert from the SCDC-OIG Major Crimes and Public Corruption Unit led the investigation, and Margaret Scott from the South Carolina Department of Corrections Criminal Prosecution Division prosecuted the case.
