Three Hinds Co. detention officers arrested in contraband crackdown

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Three Hinds County jail officers have been arrested and a large amount of contraband has been recovered following an operation at the Raymond Detention Center.

The officers, Sgt. Harry Rutledge, 44, Officer Arkeisha Martin, 27, and Officer Kayla Sims, 27, were all taken into custody.

Rutledge and Martin are charged with conspiracy to introduce contraband to a penal facility and introduction of contraband to a penal facility. Sims is charged with introduction of contraband to a penal facility.

All are felony charges, Sheriff Tyree Jones said.

Three HCSO Detention Officers arrested last night during contraband operation at the Raymond DC, Harry Rutledge, Arkeisha Martin and Kayla Sims. Tobacco, fentanyl, marijuana, prescription pills, lighters were interrupted and recovered. A pistol and $4,500.00 was also seized. pic.twitter.com/Aiwqvv4ZkH
— TyreeJonesSheriff (@TyreeSheriff) March 29, 2023

The arrests were made as part of the Operation Contraband Crackdown, which involved the sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Division, Patrol Division and Narcotics Division.

It comes days after the man charged with killing two people during the Hal’s St. Paddy’s Day Parade was seen in a video from his jail cell at the Raymond Detention Center.

The video shows Jordan Kyle Cummins saying, “Free me man. You walk up on me, and I’m going to bust your [expletive]. Two dead.”

Jones says the operation was planned prior to that video being released and said those arrested were not necessarily connected to that incident.

Contraband seized during the search included prescription pills, marijuana, fentanyl, tobacco and lighters. Investigators also found $4,500 in cash and a cell phone believed to be used by Cummins to make the video. A Glock pistol was also recovered from a vehicle in the RDC’s parking lot.

The officers were on duty at the time of their arrest. They were charged and booked into the Raymond Detention Center, Jones said in a news release.

The three are currently on administrative leave with pay pending termination, which should be completed Wednesday.

The arrests were made as part of the Operation Contraband Crackdown, which involved the sheriff’s department’s Criminal Investigations Division, Patrol Division and Narcotics Division.

WLBT Digital Manager Josh Carter contributed to this story.

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