This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories

It's prison guards gone wild this week, plus a really sleazy deputy gets a sweet deal and a 'roided cop takes a plea deal. Let's get to it:

In Athens, Ohio, a former Athens County sheriff's deputy pleaded guilty Monday to four lesser charges after originally being arrested on charges he coerced sex from female drug defendants. None of the charges Jerry Hallowell, 44, pleaded guilty to are sex offenses. Instead he copped to one charge of soliciting or receiving improper compensation (which was apparently sexual favors), a first-degree misdemeanor; plus three fifth-degree felony charges of misusing an official statewide electronic database available to police officers. Hallowell allegedly used the Ohio Law Enforcement Gateway to run background checks on women he was interested in. The felonies carry a maximum sentence of one year each, but Hallowell will probably not do any time because he was convicted of the lowest level nonviolent felonies.

In Norfolk, Virginia, a former Norfolk police officer pleaded guilty November 23 to selling steroids, syringes, and marijuana to an undercover officer. Kristin Wayne Harris, 37, copped to one count of drug possession and one count of sale of an anabolic steroid. He was originally charged with 11 drug-related felonies and two misdemeanors, but prosecutors dropped all the charges except for two. The investigation into Harris' steroid sales also led to the resignation of three other Norfolk police officers, but he was the only one charged with a crime. He's looking at anywhere from six months to 20 years in prison when sentenced.

In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a Florida state prison guard was arrested November 22 for agreeing to smuggle drugs into the prison. Ormond Rossi, 37, a guard at the Broward Correctional Institution, is charged with bribery and opium trafficking. He went down in a sting after agreeing to smuggle pain pills in return for cash, cigarettes, two water bottles full of vodka, and an unlisted number of steaks. At last report, he was still behind bars.

In Detroit, a prison guard and a former prison guard were arrested November 23 on charges they smuggled marijuana and tobacco into the Ryan Correctional Facility. Guard Joseph Jordan, 27, and former guard Corey Young, 37, were both charged with misconduct in office, furnishing contraband to a prisoner, and conspiracy to furnish marijuana to a prisoner. Young was also charged with bringing contraband into a prison, bringing a weapon into a prison, and four counts of furnishing contraband to a prisoner. They allegedly accepted payments from inmates' friends and relatives in exchange for smuggling tobacco and pot, and went down in an investigation after a prisoner was found with weed and tobacco in his cell. Each felony count is worth five years.

In Atlanta, a former Fulton County Jail guard pleaded guilty Tuesday to accepting bribes to help distribute cocaine within the jail. Akil Scott, 31, copped to attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine and accepting a $650 bribe. Prosecutors said he twice accepted $650 from undercover agents to deliver what he thought was seven grams of cocaine. Sentencing is set for February 16. Scott is looking at up to 20 years in federal prison on each count.