Camden County Woman Smuggled Drugs Into Delco Prison: Authorities

CONCORD, PA — A South Jersey woman who works as a guard at Delaware County's prison was recently charged with smuggling drugs into the facility, authorities said.

Shahonda Groves, 49, of Magnolia, a correctional officer at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility in Concord, was arrested on charges of providing a controlled substance to an inmate.

Groves's arrest comes after a July 29 report that said an inmate was in possession of illegal contraband inside their cell.

Prison staff later searched the inmate's cell and found ten packages of buprenorphine and naloxone film, also known as suboxone, the DA's office said.

When the county's Narcotics Task Force concluded their investigation, they alleged on several occasions that Groves met with someone who had facilitated the exchange of drugs and cash.
Groves would then smuggle drugs into the prison and eventually to an inmate, authorities said.

"Smuggling drugs into jails endangers inmates, jail staff, and the public," Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said. "The fact that the contraband in this case was being smuggled in by a corrections officer, whose duty it was to protect our citizens, makes this crime even more egregious, and does a disservice to all the honorable men and women who work in the field of corrections. We will prosecute those caught smuggling contraband into George W. Hill to the fullest extent of the law, and those caught with contraband in jail will also face serious punishment."

Groves was remanded to the same facility she worked at after failing to post 10 percent of $500,000 bail.

Story by Max Bennett, Patch Staff