YOUNGSTOWN  A correctional officer and a registered nurse working at the privately operated Northeast Ohio Correctional Center in Youngstown have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to bringing drugs and other prohibited items into the prison.

Brenda Dixson, a correctional officer, and Jodi Johnson, a registered nurse, were charged on Tuesday with three felony counts.

Dixson and Johnson are facing charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, and providing or possessing contraband in a prison.

The indictment specifically mentions the alleged possession and distribution of marijuana and hashish, as well as codeine. The contraband charge also includes the attempt to provide inmates with tobacco, vape cartridges, and cellphone chargers.

The investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration began on Oct. 18, following an internal complaint at NEOCC stating Johnson had been conveying narcotics during her working shifts.

DEA agents, with the help of prison staff, set up surveillance. Investigators found that Johnson was scheduled to work "as needed" in the medical ward, and most of the time she was scheduled, Dixson, a correctional officer, was allowing contraband items past the initial security checkpoint.

 

Brenda Dixson (L) Jodi Johnson (R)
Brenda Dixson (L) Jodi Johnson (R)  

On Oct. 18, agents say Johnson arrived at the NEOCC parking lot around 6:05 p.m. Agents say they saw her remove several items from her silver Cadillac SUV, including a clear bag which had food boxes inside of it.

Johnson walked through a secure, controlled entryway and up to the screening building where Dixson was working. Dixson scanned Johnson’s bag but allegedly failed to notify anyone of an abnormal scan, then proceeded with a pat-down, following normal protocol to permit Johnson to enter the prison.

Johnson was stopped and searched while Dixson was patting her down, and agents say contraband items, including illegal drugs, were found inside the food boxes.

The items recovered included four bags of tobacco, one vacuum-sealed bag of suspected marijuana, a second vacuum-sealed bag containing 32 smaller bags of an off-white substance, four 5-hour energy drink bottles with an unknown substance, four vape cartridges, and four smaller bags of suspected marijuana.

Seven cell phone USB charging devices were also located inside a small makeup bag. A preliminary drug test conducted on the off-white substance tested positive for methamphetamine.

The off-white packages weighed approximately 945 grams, and the suspected marijuana weighed about 239 grams, including the weight of the bags the narcotics were wrapped in.

Following her arrest, agents say Johnson admitted to bringing narcotics into NEOCC since February. Johnson said Dixson was the only staff member she was working with. Johnson allegedly admitted that she was doing this to make money and was paid through Apple Pay. She also admitted to bringing in six cellular telephones on Oct. 17, a package she claimed Dixson checked and let into the facility.

Dixson and Johnson were arrested on Oct. 20. Johnson was later released on a $20,000 bond on Oct. 24. Dixson was released on the same bond on Oct. 29 pending GPS monitoring device installation.

They are scheduled for arraignment before a magistrate judge on Thursday.