Three former York County Jail guards allegedly accepted money from an inmate as part of a plot to smuggle contraband into the facility.
Kayleigh Hamilton, 38, of Sanford has been charged with receiving improper gifts as a public servant; Emma Kehoe, 25, of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, has been charged with conspiracy and receiving improper gifts as a public servant; Zarek Melick, 26, of Lyman has been charged with receiving improper gifts as a public servant; and Connor McGlone, 29, of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, has been charged with conspiracy and providing improper gifts to public servants, according to York County Sheriff William King.
All four have been indicted by a York County grand jury.
Investigators uncovered the plot in April before any contraband could be smuggled into the jail, King said Thursday morning.
As part of the plot, McGlone allegedly gave money to Hamilton, Kehoe and Melick in exchange for bringing contraband into the jail. The three officers resigned during the investigation, while McGlone was moved to the Maine State Prison in Warren.
King said that Hamilton, Kehoe and Melick worked at the jail for about 18 months.
“We take allegations such as these very seriously,” King said in a statement. “As soon as we learned of the allegations, we took immediate action. It is important to note that the action by these three individuals is not reflective of the dedication and professionalism of the remaining York County Corrections Officers.”
Hamilton, Kehoe and Melick face up to six months in jail if convicted on the accepting improper gifts charge, while Kehoe and McGlone face up to a year in prison on the conspiracy charge.
The Maine attorney general’s office is prosecuting the case.
