EXCLUSIVE: Local corrections officers arrested as child porn, shanks, and contraband phones found in prison

BISHOPVILLE, SC (WIS) — Investigators raided a local South Carolina prison last week, after finding a contraband cell phone with child pornography. But the targets of this prison search, weren’t the inmates

By the time investigators left, evidence bags were loaded with narcotics, shivs capable of killing, and cell phones that could unravel prison safety. And two correctional officers were taken out in handcuffs.

It was a crackdown long in the making on the Lee Correctional Institution that has seen about 620 contraband cell phones identified and shut down in a month, according to officials. The South Carolina Department of Corrections is accusing correctional officers of becoming corrupted and in on the selling of contraband in the prison, where cell phones can be sold to criminals for as much as $6,000 a pop.

WIS had an exclusive look inside the prison and was there during the search that was a surprise to everyone inside the prison, including correctional officers who were given no time to cover their tracks.

“You raise your hand and you make an oath to protect and serve the citizens of south Carolina,” S.C. Department of Corrections Director, Bryan Stirling, said. “You take their tax money as a salary and you’re caught doing the wrong thing, you’re going to be in trouble. And that’s criminal legal trouble.”

During the search, investigators found shanks in one employee’s office and another in a car.

That day, the state OIG arrested two employees at Lee Correctional Institution.

Investigators arrested longtime employee and food service supervisor, Brian Keely. They say they found contraband in his cafeteria office, including cell phones and narcotics. During the search, S.C. Department of Corrections said investigators also found evidence of contraband deals with inmates on his cellphone.

Keely is charged with providing prisoners with contraband and criminal conspiracy.

Authorities then arrested Lieutenant Brittany Welch. Welch is charged with misconduct in office and obstructing justice.

Investigators say Welch, who they say worked in the prison for about 6 years, kept weapons for inmates and allowed inmates to share weapons. They also say she tipped inmates off about contraband searches.

Keely and Welch were both fired, according to S.C. Department of Corrections. The department also said multiple other employees were suspended without pay as an investigation continues.

Stirling said this investigation could lead to other institutions in the future, like it led to Lee Correctional Institution.

Stirling said this investigation started with a contraband cellphone.

“Someone was abusing their child and sending the videos to an inmate,” Stirling said.

In August, the Simpsonville Police Department arrested Abbygale Alexandria El-Dier. El-Dier is charged with criminal sexual conduct with a minor under the age of 11 and exploitation of a minor.

Stirling said it’s one of the many dangers of cellphones in prisons.

“Not only does it affect the folks that work in there, but it can affect the general public,” Stirling said.

That effect has been deadly.

It took him 18 hours for him to take his life,” Kathy Bowling said to a House or Representatives Judiciary Committee subcommittee in April.

In 2018, investigators say South Carolina inmates extorted Army Veteran Jared Johns using a phone they never should have had.

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Investigators said an inmate made an online dating profile, posed as a young woman, and sent nude photos to Johns.

Prosecutors say the inmate later threatened Johns, claiming the fake woman was underage and telling Johns to pay up, or he’d turn him into police.

The 24-year-old veteran died by suicide.

Johns’ parents, Kevin Johns and Kathy Bowling, are now pleading to lawmakers.

“They’re in there to stop them from doing crimes, but their doing more crimes,” Kevin Johns said.

Also calling for change, Capt. Robert Johnson, a former contraband captain at Lee Correctional Institution.

“He was doing a good job,” Stirling said. “And the inmates didn’t like it.”

RELATED: Former officer survives “hit”, takes story to Washington

A U.S. Attorney said Johnson was shot several times at his home. They say the hit was ordered by an inmate, also using a cellphone he never should have had.

Johnson survived.

The inmates in both Johns and Johnson’s cases were guilty.

RELATED: Man gets 20 years in SC corrections officer shooting

Stirling said contraband cellphones in prison are also contributing to the spread of illegal drugs throughout the country.

Stirling said inmates with cellphones can continue to move drugs around from the inside.

“And they’re almost safer, because no one is going to come shoot them or anything. They can stab them or fight with them in here, but they kind of have a détente where they work it out, because everyone is making money,” Stirling said. “So they deal with the folks that come from South America and Central America and Mexico. The gang leaders who have the connections with China. They import the fentanyl from China. They bring the drugs straight up into the United States and the folks here know the distributors on the streets.

“When they are behind bars, they should ne be able to continue their criminal ways,” Stirling said.

It’s why Stirling has called on the Federal Communications Commission to give the state the authority to jam cellphones in state prisons.

“They have said, ‘this is a congressional issue.’ The Senate and the House in D.C. have not taken this up,” Stirling said.

Stirling said he and the FCC figured out a workaround, using technology to identify when illegal calls are coming from inside the prison.

Stirling said the technology identifies the serial number of each contraband phone.

“We send that up to the industry. We have specifics of when they’re in the institution and things of that nature, so we don’t shut phones off on the outside, and the industry has two days to shut it off,” Stirling explained.

Stirling said in a month, the department disabled about 620 phones. He said there are about 1,200 inmates inside Lee Correctional Institution.

After shutting off the contraband cellphones phones, Stirling said about 580 inmates signed up to use the legal telephones in the prison, often referred to as “wall phones.”

“A smartphone is about $6,000 to get in, so short of being able to shut the phones off and deny service, hopefully that $6,000 phone — supply and demand. Next time it will be [$8,000]. Then it will be [$10,000]. Then it will be [$12,000],” Stirling said.

Millions of dollars move beyond the doors of Lee Correctional Institution, according to S.C. Department of Corrections. Stirling said cellphones drive a lot of that money.

Some of the people bringing contraband into the prison, are the ones who are supposed to be keeping contraband out of inmates’ hands, according to Stirling.

“We teach them [prison employees], ‘don’t let them get one over on you,’” Stirling said. “We teach how to rebuff attempts and things of that nature.”

Stirling said the department has increased salaries over the year.

According to a S.C. Department of Corrections document showing historical starting salaries for correctional officers, the average starting salary for a correctional officer in 2018 was $33,289.

In 2023, the average salary is $44,236. The document states that with overtime, eligible corrections officer earned $54,354.

In 2018, that average salary was $33,289, according to the document.

“We’ve gotten raises, overtime pay, bonuses, retention, everything,” Stirling said. “So money isn’t the issue.”

Stirling said before hiring, the department does background checks and social media searches.

“But a lot of the gangs encourage people to come work here. They’ll find people with clean records that they know can come in, and we wouldn’t suspect,” he said.

Stirling said what bothers him most about these situations, is SCDC has good people who work for them.

“We have people that show up every day. They want to keep the citizens safe. It’s a tough environment to work in and this leaves a stain on everyone that works in the department, not just in the state, but across the country,” Stirling said.

Outside of Lee Correctional institution, there are fences, barbed wire, a golf net to keep people from throwing contraband in, x-ray machines and even a team of people with drones, looking for other drones trying to drop contraband on the prison grounds.

“All of that, that’s all tax dollars and its very expensive,” Stirling said. “All it takes is that one person at the front gate and that all goes by the wayside, and they can walk it right in.”

Going forward, Stirling said they are going to continue to use the technology at Lee Correctional Institution to shut down cell phones.

“I’m 100% going to go to the legislature and brief them and say, ‘I need this money. I need this for every single prison,’” Stirling said. “It’s going to be millions and millions of dollar, s but I think it will work. I know it will work. I’ve seen it work here.”

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