Sheriff's office employee fired, sentenced for trafficking contraband into Jackson County jail

JACKSON COUNTY (KSNT) - A Kansas sheriff says a former corrections officer is being sentenced for attempting to bring contraband into a local correctional facility.

Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse said in a press release Thursday morning that 36-year-old Lucas A. Ray of Holton, who worked for the sheriff's office as a corrections officer in early 2020, was sentenced on March 29. He pled no contest to attempted trafficking of contraband and was sentenced to 18 months of probation with court services along with an underlying sentence of eight months in prison.

“It is imperative to protect those in our custody," Morse said. "It is as important for law enforcement agencies to demand integrity of its employees, and justice should apply to all.”

The sheriff's office opened an investigation into Ray in August of 2023 on reports Ray was trafficking contraband into the jail facility. The investigation revealed an employee was getting cash through an app from friends of relatives of inmates in exchange for goods.

Ray was placed on administrative leave and once the investigation concluded, was fired from the sheriff's office on Aug. 31, 2023. A complaint was sent to the county attorney's office where Ray was later charged and sent to court.

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