McCORMICK, S.C. (WJBF) – The South Carolina Attorney General announced that the South Carolina State Grand Jury has issued indictments of five South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) sworn officers for their alleged participation in lucrative conspiracies to smuggle large amounts of contraband, including marijuana, other illicit drugs, and cell phones, into the McCormick Correctional Institution.

“As I’ve said many times, a prison is no place for a cell phone. Illegal cell phones and the contraband trade drive not only a highly lucrative black market, but also contribute to gang power, gang rivalries, and gang violence both inside and outside the prison walls,” Attorney General Wilson said.

“It’s always disappointing when a law enforcement officer breaks the public trust,” SCDC Director Bryan Stirling said. “We are working hard to make sure all of these defendants are fully prosecuted.”

(1)      Brittany Marie Pixley

  • Misconduct in Office (4 counts): 0-10 years
  • Sexual Misconduct with an Inmate: 0-10 years
  • Criminal Conspiracy: 0-5 years or $5,000
  • Money Laundering, value $300 to $20,000 (2 counts): 0-5 years and up to $250,000 or twice the value of financial transactions, whichever greater

(2)      Judy Willis Mather

  • Misconduct in Office: 0-10 years
  • Criminal Conspiracy: 0-5 years or $5,000
  • Money Laundering, value greater than $100,000: 0-20 years and up to $250,000 or twice the value of financial transactions, whichever greater

(3)      Shaquaila Ewnique Morgan

  • Misconduct in Office (4 counts): 25-30 years and $200,000
  • Criminal Conspiracy: 0-5 years or $5,000
  • Money Laundering: Money Laundering, value $300 to $20,000: 0-5 years and up to $250,000 or twice the value of financial transactions, whichever greater

(4)      Dion T. Gaines

  • Misconduct in Office: 0-10 years
  • Criminal Conspiracy: 0-5 years or $5,000
  • Money Laundering, value $300 to $20,000 (2 counts): 0-5 years and up to $250,000 or twice the value of financial transactions, whichever greater
  • Ethics Violation: 0-10 years and $10,000

(5)      George Stevenson Leverette

  • Trafficking Methamphetamine, 100-200 grams: 25 years and $50,000 (124.75 grams of methamphetamine confiscated)
  • Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Substance (Amphetamine): 0-6 months and $1,000
  • Unlawful Possession of Prescription Medication (Sildenafil): 0-2 years and $500
  • Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Violent Crime: 5 years in addition to the punishment provided for the principal crime

Attorney General Wilson stressed that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.

This comes after two other employees allegedly were fired and resigned for having sex with inmates.