3 Richland jail officers arrested, accused of taking inmate bribes and distributing contraband

Three officers at Richland County’s Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center have been arrested on charges of misconduct in office, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department announced Monday.

The officers allegedly accepted bribes from jail detainees, warned detainees about impending cell searches and distributed contraband to detainees.

Casey Weirich, Nakia Smith and Lynntesha Barr have all been booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.

Weirich was arrested Jan. 25 and is accused of accepting bribes from an inmate. The arrest came after a “large seizure of contraband” was taken from a detainee’s cell. Weirich allegedly alerted detainees to upcoming cell searches.

Smith was arrested Feb. 1. She is accused of having a contraband cellphone on her person while at the jail, with the intention of giving the items to detainees, according to the sheriff’s department. She was arrested after investigators received an anonymous tip.

Barr was arrested Feb. 3. She allegedly received more than $15,000 from detainees over eight months for giving out contraband items. Jail administration reported Barr to the sheriff’s department after she was seen on video handing an item to an inmate, according to the sheriff’s department news release.

Barr resigned from the jail Jan. 3, according to a document obtained from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy. Her separation is listed as “resigned/voluntary.”

The State reporter Zak Koeske contributed to this report.