RACINE – An employee of the Racine County Jail is in custody following an investigation into smuggling contraband into the facility.
After receiving a tip about illicit materials in the jail, staff initiated a shakedown of the dayroom and cells. During the shakedown, inmate Tarvis Koker, a 21-year-old male from Racine, appeared to be concealing items in his cell. Correctional Officers removed Koker from the cell and searched the cell. Correctional officers located a cell phone inside a water filled trash bag. The cell phone was bent in an attempt to break the phone. Correctional Officers located a USB charger in the cell.
During the shakedown, correctional officers also observed inmate Andrew Crutcher, a 33-year-old male from Kenosha, appearing to hide items on his person. Correctional officers located a sock in Crutcher’s waist band area that contained nine Oxycodone pills, a lighter, tobacco, rolling papers, a makeshift smoking pipe, three pens, and two razors. Correctional officers located another cell phone and a USB charger in Crutcher’s cell.
A deputy interviewed another inmate who stated Crutcher had a relationship with the Director of Mental Health Services, Brittany Perez, a 36-year-old female from Kenosha. The inmate stated Perez was smuggling contraband into the jail and providing it to Crutcher. Perez is a clinical social worker who has been employed at the jail since June 2023. Perez is a contract employee and enters the jail through the Professional Entrance where there are Contraband warnings. Perez would have had to conceal the contraband to get it past the correctional officers.
Investigators were able to download the cell phone located in Crutcher’s cell, and they located a text string between Crutcher and Perez. The investigator documented that Crutcher and Perez were calling and texting each other regularly and were engaging in a romantic relationship. Crutcher and Perez discussed wanting to pursue a sexual relationship, and Perez sent Crutcher nude photographs of herself.
In one text conversation, Crutcher asked Perez to bring him “a pack of Newports and like 6 of them black and milds, Newports 100’s, The jazz wood tipped ones.” Perez responded, “That sucks. I can’t leave today. I come in on Sunday for Missy and can bring that to you then.” In another text conversation, Perez told Crutcher that she is not going to bring him any more contraband and “people are talking”.
Following the investigation, Perez was arrested on two counts of Delivering an Article to an Inmate; she is being held on 10,000 dollars bail.
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