Barrow County deputies arrested in jail smuggling investigation
Hunter Lewis Perkins and Xavier Jamal McWhorter (left to right) (Barrow County Sheriff's Office)
BARROW COUNTY, Ga. - Two deputies with the Barrow County Sheriff's Office are in custody accused of crimes related to smuggling contraband into the county's jail.
Authorities say 21-year-old Hunter Lewis Perkins and 28-year-old Xavier Jamal McWhortor turned themselves in to the Barrow County Detention Center Monday afternoon.
The Barrow County sheriff says they contacted the Georgia Bureau of Investigation after hearing about allegations of wrongdoing by the department's employees.
"We moved very quickly on this and immediately contacted the GBI," Sheriff Jud Smith wrote in a statement. "The trust that exists between our office and the community is very important to all of us at the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office. When someone violates that trust, we will act swiftly."
Both men are charged with bribery, trading with inmates without consent of the warden or superintendent, items prohibited for possession by inmates, and violation of their oath as a public officer.