Georgia Department of Corrections Officer Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Drugs into Prison

Tiffany Cook, a former Georgia Department of Corrections officer, pleaded guilty to smuggling methamphetamine and marijuana into Hays State Prison, a facility in North Georgia. According to the investigation, Cook started work as a corrections officer at the North Georgia prison in the spring of 2017. She was an employed by the Georgia Department of Corrections since 2010 in different capacities. 

Over the summer this year, the Georgia Department of Corrections was tipped off by an inmate that Cook was engaging in drug smuggling. She was detained and searched. Officers found 118 grams of meth and 150 grams of marijuana on her person.

Charges similar to the ones faced by Cook occur with possession and DUI in Georgia quite regularly. As a Georgia DUI Lawyer, I will outline the one of the offenses in today's post.

Crossing the Guard Line in Georgia

Crossing the Guard Line in Georgia is defined by the Georgia Code as:

It shall be unlawful for any person to come inside the guard lines established at any state or county correctional institution with a gun, pistol, or any other weapon or with or under the influence of any intoxicating liquor, amphetamines, biphetamines, or any other hallucinogenic or other drugs, without the knowledge or consent of the warden, superintendent, or his designated representative. O.C.G.A. §42-5-15.

Cook pleaded guilty to smuggling large quantities of both marijuana and meth into Hays State Prison. 

The penalty for a conviction of crossing the guard line in Georgia is one to four years in prison. The offense is considered a felony. 

Practice Note

According to reports, Cook has been sentenced to seven years and eight months in prison. This is a result of possession charges added on top of the serious crime of smuggling contraband into a state prison. 

If you or a loved one is facing serious charges in the state of Georgia, contact our offices today.