A former Philadelphia prison guard is facing federal felony charges after he allegedly tried to deliver drugs, cigarettes and mobile telephones to inmates in exchange for cash.
Dion Reid, 35, tried to smuggle the contraband into the Philadelphia Industrial Correction Center at 8301 State Road last May, according to a grand jury indictment released on Tuesday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Reid is charged with two counts of honest services fraud for disobeying the Philadelphia Prison System’s policies and procedures, as well as two counts of possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute.
He has been dismissed from his job with the prison system.
“Defendant Dion Reid used his position and authority as a prison guard within the Philadelphia Prison System to obtain cash payments in exchange for smuggling contraband, including cigarettes, cellular telephones, marijuana and Alprazolam (commonly known as Xanex), into the PPS,” the indictment states.
The charging document claims that Reid exchanged text messages with an inmate on May 28. After the inmate requested an update on the delivery of the contraband, Reid allegedly replied, “Yeah, i got u homie!”
In another communication, the inmate allegedly texted to Reid, “We tryna flood da whole max side,” meaning that the inmate wanted contraband for the maximum security section of the prison.
Reid also made telephone calls to people outside the prison to arrange to pick up cash payments on behalf of the inmate, the indictment states.
If convicted, Reid faces a possible 50-year prison sentence and $1 million fine. ••
