DISPATCHER HELD IN PLOT TO SNEAK DRUGS INTO JAIL

Suspect Arrested On The Job At Canton Police Station

A Canton police dispatcher was at work this week when she was handcuffed
and hauled off to the Madison County Jail - the same jail where authorities
allege she conspired to sneak in drugs.

Cynthia Nicholson, of 2312 N. West St. in Canton, was charged with
conspiracy to commit a felony.

"I guess you'd say the subtitle is that the felony is ... to introduce a
controlled substance into a prison facility," said Madison County Sheriff
Toby Trowbridge.

Nicholson, arrested Tuesday afternoon, remains in jail pending a bond
hearing Friday in Madison County Justice Court.

Trowbridge was sparse on details, but said the incident that led to
Nicholson's arrest occurred last weekend. Nicholson did not go to the jail,
but "the conspiracy has to do with the Madison County Jail," he said.

No jail employees were involved and no one else has been arrested,
Trowbridge said. He would not say if an inmate was involved.

"I can't tell you right now how we were able to obtain the information. ..
I've got to preserve the case for the grand jury," he said.

Canton Police Chief Luke Gordon said he received a courtesy call from the
Sheriff's Department to let him know the arrest was coming.

"They said they had an arrest warrant for one of my dispatchers and were
going to pick her up at the station," Gordon said.

The chief, who already has one officer charged with bribery in an alleged
ticket-writing scam, said he was saddened by this latest arrest.

"We're trying to get things moving in the right direction and get the
community behind us," Gordon said. "Things like this don't help."

No age was available for Nicholson, but Gordon said she is in her late 20s
and has been a dispatcher for a year.

"She had no prior record that I know of. ... She's been a good dispatcher,"
Gordon said.