(Stillwater, Okla.) — A former case manager at the Cimarron Correctional Facility was placed on two years’ probation Friday for bringing cell phones, which are considered contraband, into the private prison in Cushing.
Tamara D. Davidson, 52, had pleaded guilty to the felony charge, which carries a maximum penalty of a five-year prison term and $1,000 fine. Since she was given a deferred sentence, Davidson will not have a criminal record if she completes probation.
As part of a plea bargain approved in court Friday by Associate District Judge Stephen Kistler, Davidson was ordered to obtain full-time employment, take a life skills course, pay a $250 fine, and perform 50 hours of community service within six months.
Cushing prison investigator Joe Sebenick told Cushing police on April 23 that on April 21, “case manager Tamara Davidson attempted to come through the lobby into the facility with three cell phones,” Cushing Police Detective Adam Harp wrote in an affidavit.
“During the screen process (at the prison), the front desk employee suspected an unusual object being viewed in the x-ray machine.
“It was later discovered that Davidson was attempting to introduce contraband, three cell phones into the facility for three inmates,” the affidavit said.
“Investigator Sebenick interviewed Davidson who admitted to attempting to introduce the contraband, three cell phones to three different inmates.
“The cell phones were inside the Subway sandwich at the time she was attempting to get it through security.
“Davidson told Investigator Sebenick that she is having financial difficulties, and this was the first attempt on her part to have tried to introduce contraband into the facility,” the affidavit said.
When the Cushing police detective interviewed Davidson by phone on April 23, “Davidson admitted that she attempted to get three cell phones into the prison by placing the phones in a Subway sandwich.
“Davidson said that she was going to give the phones to three inmates for a total of $300. Davidson said that she was given $100 for one of the cell phones by an inmate and used the rest to buy diapers, etc. “Davidson said that she wanted to make more money because her house payment and insurance went up and needed to pay bills,” the affidavit said.
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