Pubdate: Fri, 26 Oct 2012
Source: Chronicle Herald (CN NS)
Copyright: 2012 The Halifax Herald Limited
Contact:  http://thechronicleherald.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/180
Author: Sherri Borden Colley and Steve Bruce

CORRECTIONS OFFICER ACCUSED OF TRYING TO SMUGGLE DRUGS INTO DARTMOUTH JAIL

A correctional officer has been charged with trying to smuggle drugs
into the Dartmouth jail on Thursday.

Malcolm Stephen Beaton, 49, of Bedford was arrested Thursday night as
part of an ongoing drug investigation. He faces charges of breach of
trust and possession of hydromorphone and marijuana for the purpose of
trafficking. Beaton works as a correctional officer at the Central
Nova Scotia Correctional Facility.

"Investigators in the HRP/RCMP integrated guns & gangs unit and the
combined forces intelligence unit arrested a corrections officer at
6:35 p.m. as he was about to enter the Central Nova Scotia
Correctional Facility in Burnside," Halifax Regional Police said in a
news release Friday.

"The man was found to be in possession of a quantity of tobacco,
marijuana, Hydromorph, drug paraphernalia and cash. Officers will also
be executing a search warrant of his vehicle which was seized at the
scene. "

Investigators on the case allege the drugs were destined for
transportation into the corrections system.

Beaton was held overnight. He arrived at Dartmouth provincial court at
10:45 a.m. in a police paddy wagon. He is in protective custody.

Beaton was released from custody this afternoon on a $20,000
recognizance secured by property belonging to one of his sisters. He's
due back in court on Nov. 28.

He must remain on house arrest at his sister's home at Royal Mast Lane
in Bedford where he may only leave for medical emergencies or
appointments and is allowed five hours each Wednesday to attend to
personal needs. He may not possess any weapons or associate with
anyone who has a criminal record. As well, Beaton is not allowed to
consume or possess drugs and cannot have a cell phone or pager.

He is also banned from being within 50 metres of the Burnside jail.
And if he has a passport, he must hand it over to Halifax Regional
Police.

Crown attorney Angela Nimmo described the release conditions as very
stringent.

"It's reflective of the strength of the Crown's case and the
seriousness of the charges," Nimmo told reporters.

Meanwhile, Beaton's lawyer, Pavel Boubnov, urged people not to rush to
judgement in this case. He said while it may appear simple from the
outside, cases like this are often complex and that people are
presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The Justice Department issued a news release today that said
Correctional Services staff had taken part in an investigation and an
employee, whom the department did not identify, has been removed from
the workplace pending the outcome of an internal investigation.

Justice Minster Ross Landry said the department will conduct an
internal investigation into the incident.

"It's always a concern whenever an employee has allegations of
wrongdoing," the minister said at Province House.

Landry said he saw a positive in that illicit substances didn't get
into the jail, thanks to collaboration of provincial staff and police.
He wouldn't say whether it was someone in corrections who tipped off
police.

The minister said the department is looking at how it recruits
employees, working with the Nova Scotia Community College and Atlantic
Police Academy in Prince Edward Island.

Whatever the hiring process, people can change, Landry
said.

"They can be a very professional, very righteous individual, and
somewhere along their journey in life, they take a wrong turn and they
make decisions that lead them into doing something," he said. "It's
human nature that we're dealing with."

The internal investigation will help the province decide what action
to take in this particular case, and whether changes are needed at the
facility, the department's news release said. It is not possible at
this point to say how long that investigation will take or what the
outcome might be.

"While these allegations are disturbing, it's important to remember
that our corrections officers do difficult work with offenders every
day," Landry said. "They have a tough job, and I have confidence in
their abilities and their professionalism.

"We will get to the bottom of this incident as soon as we can, and
make whatever changes are necessary."

In July 2009, Halifax criminal lawyer Anne Calder was caught sneaking
a package of drugs to one of her clients in custody at Central Nova
Scotia Correctional Facility. She was convicted and sentenced to 30
months in prison for trafficking Dilaudid and possessing Dilaudid and
marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.

Last week, sheriff's deputy Tyrone Cornell David, 43, of Lakeside
pleaded guilty in Nova Scotia Supreme Court to one count of breach of
trust and nine drug-related charges.

David was arrested on the morning of Oct. 9, 2009, as he arrived at
work at the Dartmouth provincial courthouse on Pleasant Street.

Police alleged the deputy had collected an envelope containing drugs
from Kathleen Mary Kierans a few minutes earlier in the parking lot of
a nearby fast-food restaurant.

Investigators believed the drugs were to be smuggled into the Central
Nova Scotia Correctional Facility through the holding cells at the
courthouse.

Kierans's boyfriend, well-known crime figure Jimmy Melvin Jr., was in
custody at the Dartmouth jail at the time.

David, who was suspended with pay and later fired by the provincial
Justice Department, will be sentenced Jan. 10. A full day has been set
aside for the hearing.

In the meantime, David remains free on bail.

Kierans was awaiting trial on three counts of trafficking and one of
bribery when she died from an apparent overdose at her Dartmouth
apartment in July 2011. She was 24.
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