CORRECTIONS OFFICER ARRESTED FOR DRUGS

LUMBERTON -- A Lumberton corrections officer could find himself
viewing life from the other side of the bars.

Robert Edward Woodell, a prison food service officer, faces multiple
drug charges after he was arrested while working at the Lumberton
Correctional Institution early Thursday morning. Sheriff's deputies
say Woodell, 26, of Mt. Olive Road in Lumberton, distributed drugs and
other contraband in the prison.

And Woodell could be just the tip of the iceberg. In a written
statement, the arresting officers, J.W. Jacobs and K.R. Meares, said
they "believe that there are numerous persons involved in a conspiracy
of getting controlled substances inside this prison."

Sheriff's Lt. C.T. Strickland, supervisor of the Drug Enforcement
Division, said that the Sheriff's Office is still investigating
Woodell and the people he was involved with, and that he expects more
arrests.

Strickland said that Woodell is charged with felony possession with
intent to sell and deliver marijuana, possession of controlled
substances on the premises of a prison, maintaining a vehicle for
storage of controlled substances and misdemeanor possession of drug
paraphernalia. He was jailed under $51,000 bail.

Woodell was arrested about 3:45 a.m. while preparing breakfast in the
prison, according to Lumberton Correctional Institution Superintendent
Emilio Pagan. Woodell, who had worked at the prison for two years,
resigned at the time of his arrest, Pagan said.

Meares and Jacobs conducted an extensive investigation over the last
three months on Woodell and his involvement in selling controlled
substances inside the prison, Strickland said.

Jacobs said that officers seized more than 4 ounces of marijuana,
which was found in Woodell's 2002 Ford Ranger, on the prison grounds.
The Ranger also was seized.

Pagan said that the Sheriff's Office was contacted after the prison
began an internal investigation. Strickland said the joint
investigation revealed that Woodell was distributing alcohol and
outside food along with controlled substances in the prison for sale.

Pagan said that the prison has contraband problems from time to time,
but not that often. Contraband ranges from money to outside food to
alcohol and drugs, Pagan said.

"Control of contraband in the facility is always a high priority,"
Pagan said. "We always give it a lot of attention, but it's something
that you can't hope will go away by itself."

Pagan said the investigation inside the prison is ongoing in regard to
whether more people in the prison are involved in the sale of drugs or
any other types of contraband that enters the prison.