A Florida prison guard is facing more than 70 criminal charges after allegedly having sex with an inmate, and smuggling various banned items into the prison – including cigars which she hid in her vagina.
According to court documents more than $12,000 was paid to Sergeant Lawana Mekell Sharpe in exchange for smuggling contraband into the Graceville Correctional Facility in Florida, where she worked as a guard.
Sharpe Engaged in Oral Sex, Sexual Intercourse with the Inmate
The Florida Department of Corrections said in an arrest affidavit that Sharpe had confessed after being confronted about the allegations
Sharpe had allegedly begun a sexual relationship with an inmate at the prison, and an investigation was opened by the Florida Department of Corrections Office of the Inspector General.
She reportedly denied having sexual intercourse with the inmate but did confess to performing oral sex on him on a number of occasions. "According to [the inmate], he and Sergeant Sharpe's relationship escalated to point he and Sergeant Sharpe began to have Sexual intercourse while in B-dormitory," the affidavit states.
Sharpe Charged with Sexual Misconduct, Conspiracy to Introduce Contraband
Sharpe also admitted to smuggling cigars into the facility by inserting them in her private parts to avoid security checks. According to the prison, she received 67 payments between January and October 2021 from eight different accounts as part of the contraband smuggling operation.
Investigators say they found "what appeared to be a fictitious J-pay account in the name 'Candy Williams' sending [a Graceville inmate] messages. "Upon further research of Candy Williams' account," the affidavit continues, "it was discovered the account information listed on the Candy Williams J-pay account was linked to Sergeant Sharpe."
Sharpe's employment ended on 30th September 2021 but she was reportedly charged this month, in January 2023.
Sharpe, who worked at the Graceville Correctional Facility for about four years, was taken into custody earlier this month and charged with two counts of sexual misconduct, two counts of conspiracy to introduce contraband, and 67 counts of unlawful compensation or reward for official behaviour, court documents show.
