Female prison officer among gang members jailed for smuggling drugs into jail

A female prison officer who was part of a gang which smuggled drugs to inmates in her own prison has been jailed for two years.

Rio Moran, 30, was arrested by police when she turned up for work at HMP Doncaster in November 2020.

Officers from South Yorkshire Police's Prison Anti-Corruption Unit found a large amount of drugs and phones when they searched her home.

While there were searching her home, Callum Reilly, 30, from Stockport, turned up and tried to post further contraband through the front door, which was bound for her prison.

Inmate James Millington, 31, was later identified as being the recipient of the items and he was also arrested.

His partner, Claire Anderson, was found to have assisted the conspiracy and was arrested at her home in Stockport.

Drugs and phones suspected to be bound for prison were found at her home.

What happened at court?

All four defendants had previously admitted their roles in the conspiracy at Sheffield Crown Court in September last year and all but Anderson were sentenced this week.

Moran, of Halifax, West Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to conspiring to supply class B drugs into prison, conspiring to convey list B articles into prison and money laundering. She was jailed for two years.

Millington, 31, of HMP Leeds, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of class B and C drugs into prison between 2017 and 2020, conspiring to supply class B drugs into prison and conspiring to convey list B articles into prison. He has been jailed for seven years and nine months.

Reilly, 30, of Stockport, pleaded guilty to supplying a class B drug to Claire Anderson, conspiring to convey list B articles into prison and money laundering. He been sentenced to 12 months behind bars.

Anderson, 32, of Stockport, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of Class B and C drugs into prison between 2017 and 2020, conspiring to supply Class B drugs into prison and conspiring to convey List B articles into prison.

Her sentencing was adjourned, and she will further appear before the court on 25 March for sentencing.

‘Zero tolerance’

Detective Constable Scott Jarvis said after sentencing: “Our prisons are staffed predominantly with hard working officers who go about their business professionally despite the risks to themselves and colleagues on a daily basis.

“For the majority of staff, their number one aim is the safeguarding of inmates and colleagues, and to support the rehabilitation of those inmates.

"Any officers that fall outside of that and commit crime will be dealt with robustly along with any members of the public assisting that criminality.”

John Hewitson, Serco prison director at HMP Doncaster, said: “Serco has a zero tolerance approach to people breaking the law and we worked closely with the police on this operation to arrest them.”