Amanda Francel Blas
An internal investigation has revealed a lack of evidence to support allegations of bribery against the Department of Corrections warden and another prison officer, according to DOC Director Jose San Agustin.
“There is nothing I could pin them on,” he said.
San Agustin said the prison had received a complaint about a corrections officer using government property for non-government purposes.
According to the director, the complaint said the officer allegedly used a Government of Guam vehicle to drive a prisoner to pick up roosters at a Sinajana residence and take them to the warden’s residence or a neighboring home, San Agustin said.
The DOC director said the bribery allegations were brought up in connection to inmate Alex Castro, a former MMA fighter, but did not specify how Castro was connected to the bribe.
Jeff Limo, special assistant to the DOC director, confirmed Castro wasn’t the prisoner mentioned in the complaint.
In April, Castro was arrested after he allegedly attacked another inmate.
Although Castro was transferred to DOC’s halfway house in Mangilao, prison officials have said inmates convicted of aggravated assault, such as Castro, are disqualified from being assigned to that facility.
San Agustin said he discussed the issue with the warden — who has the authority to sign off on inmate transfers to that facility — noting he wouldn’t have authorized the transfer of an inmate with Castro’s background to that facility.
San Agustin said Castro is now housed at the Hagåtña Lockup and will remain there until he’s considered to move to the halfway house.
“Those kind of moves won’t happen in the future,” San Agustin said.
Source: guampdn
