MIAMI (WSVN) - An employee with the Miami-Dade Corrections & Rehabilitation Metro West Detention Center was arrested after, police said, she had been smuggling drugs into a local correctional facility.
The suspect, 39-year-old Junell Raquel Bess, was caught following an investigation that uncovered her secret scheme.
According to officials, a tip led investigators to suspect Bess, a part-time Financial Specialist at Jackson Memorial Hospital, of giving an inmate drugs for personal use and for selling to fellow prisoners.
As the investigation continued, officials discovered that Bess was getting paid for her operation. Officers eventually tracked her down and made the arrest.
Bess is facing multiple charges.
Director Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez stressed that it’s their duty to thoroughly investigate any questionable behavior by employees at Miami-Dade County facilities. “We gotta make sure everyone acts professionally and sticks to Miami-Dade County’s core values,” he said.
State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle slammed Bess’s alleged actions. “Ms. Bess stooped to the same level as the convicts she was serving by smuggling drugs into the slammer for her own profit.”
Police are still investigating.
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