General Headquarters — Columbus, Ohio

 

For Immediate Release: August 12, 2003
Contact: Lt. Tony Bradshaw (614) 752-2792

 

Southeastern Correctional employee arrested
for attempted drug conveyance and bribery

LANCASTER – A Corrections Officer was arraigned in Fairfield County Municipal Court this morning for attempting to convey drugs into the Southeastern Correctional Institution. Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers charged Sylvester Thurston, 32, of Columbus, with attempting to convey drugs onto the grounds of a correctional facility and bribery, both third-degree felonies, and possession of marijuana and OxyContin, a fourth-degree felony.

Troopers and Department of Rehabilitation and Correction investigators obtained information that Thurston planned to convey illegal drugs into the Southeastern Correctional Institution. He was arrested at 6:30 p.m. yesterday in a parking lot near U.S. 33 after troopers found he had one ounce of marijuana and 10 pills of OxyContin, which he planned to convey.

Thurston was incarcerated at the Fairfield County Jail. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years and six months in prison and a $25,000 fine.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol investigates criminal activity on state-owned and leased property.

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03-177

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