12 JAILERS ARRESTED IN DRUG SCHEME

Indictments Also Accuse 5 Others Of Conspiracy

A dozen Shelby County deputy jailers were invited to a special training
session at the department's East Memphis training academy Wednesday morning.

Instead they got a ride Downtown in the back of a U.S. Marshal's van in
handcuffs -- compliments of the FBI.

The deputy jailers, two former jailers, and three others, including a
Postal Service worker, were named in indictments unsealed Wednesday that
describe a pervasive conspiracy to smuggle drugs into the jail.

During the past year the jailers took money, usually $500 or $1,000, to
sneak what they believed to be Oxycontin and crack cocaine in to inmates,
the indictments said.

The drugs were actually sham drugs, given to them by FBI agents, to take
into the jail at 201 Poplar.

One of the defendants, Greg Reed, 44, a private security guard who worked
in the jail, is also accused of smuggling in more than an ounce of heroin.

The heroin charges could carry a 40-year prison sentence. The other charges
carry a maximum of 20 years.

Shelby County Sheriff Mark Luttrell said he was disappointed by the
announcement, which he said "shows we do have flaws."

"It doesn't look good," he said.

Luttrell said the jail's Crime Investigation Unit caught wind of illegal
activity last year, about the time the FBI began delving into the allegations.

One jailer, Ariane Grant, 26, recruited other jailers to smuggle drugs,
Asst. U.S. Atty. Tim DiScenza said in a court hearing Wednesday afternoon.

He said Grant also offered to bring a pistol to an inmate.

DiScenza also said in court that many of the transactions were video-recorded.

Grant is charged in five of the 13 indictments with conspiring to bring
Oxycontin -- more than 100 pills of the addictive painkiller -- and crack
into the jail.

DiScenza said he will try to have her held without bond.

DiScenza described another jailer, Curtis Springer, as dangerous. He is
charged with bringing 50 fake Oxycontin pills and a small amount of phony
crack to an inmate.

In a conversation, the 50-year-old Springer is alleged to have said, "In
Chicago we know how to deal with informants."

"Bitches and snitches belong in ditches," DiScenza quoted Springer as saying.

Other jailers charged were Tiffany Maxwell, Rita Williamson, Tammy Lewis,
Sheila Jones, Monica Johnson, Carolyn Kirk-Wiggly, Veronda Jackson, Ronald
Hughes, Debra Franklin and Mario Person.

Greg Reed and Tony Williams were identified as former Shelby County deputy
jailers.

Sandra Boyland was identified as a postal worker. Yulanda Jones and Greg
Long were also charged.

Long, who wasn't a county employee, at times sported a Shelby County Jail
gang squad uniform and pretended he was a member.

All county workers were put on paid leave.