Deputy Warden, Corrections Officers Among Those Charged In Fayette Co. Prison Corruption Probe
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
UNIONTOWN (KDKA) -- A grand jury investigation has uncovered alleged corruption inside the Fayette County Prison.
Fayette County District Attorney Richard Bower announced charges at a news conference Thursday morning.
They are calling the investigation "Operation Clean Sweep." The probe started last December when Bower told Fayette County commissioners that he wanted a grand jury investigation into alleged corruption in the county.
There were five days of testimony involved, resulting in 30 presentments with criminal charges.
Dec 2019.
Bower told Commissioners he wanted a Grand Jury into alleged corruption in Fayette county5 days of testimony
30 Presentments with criminal charges.— Ross Guidotti (@RossGuidotti) August 13, 2020
Officials say contraband, such as synthetic marijuana and Saboxone, were being brought inside the prison.
"The kind of drugs that we're talking about are K2, marijuana, Suboxone, Xanex," Bower said.
Bower: Substances like Suboxone and Synthetic Pot were smuggled into Fayette County Prison.
— Ross Guidotti (@RossGuidotti) August 13, 2020
The alleged conspirators are seven prison employees, including multiple corrections officers and the deputy warden, the DA said. A list of inmates are named in the investigation as well.
"Rich Zavotto was the deputy warden at the Fayette County Prison; Scott Bush and Chad Busey are presently correctional officers at the Fayette County Prison," Bower said.
The allegations against these men and others include bribery, threats to attorneys and judges, obstruction, theft and profiting off contraband and drugs being allowed into the prison.
Some of the others facing charges include Keith Bradshaw and his mother. Bradshaw is charged in the killing of William Steward in Connellsville.
Randy Smithberger, who is awaiting trial on charges of pushing a child's stroller while drunk and then fighting a state trooper, is also facing counts in the bust. Smithberger's girlfriend, Heather Nicole Cornish, also facing criminal charges as a result of the inquiry.
"When we started this, we never knew how deep the corruption was," Bower said.
While many of the suspects are already in jail, the remaining are expected to turn themselves in.
The investigation is continuing. Bower says 30 more presentments are headed to the grand jury.
The U.S. Attorney's Office is also looking to launch two separate investigations of their own.
