Corrections Officer Accused Of Smuggling Narcotics Into Escambia Road Prison

April 13, 2021

A corrections officer at the Escambia County road prison has been arrested for allegedly smuggling narcotics in the facility.

Byron Jermaine Banks, age 29 of Molino, was charged with two felony counts of smuggling contraband into a detention facility. He was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $20,000 bond.

Banks is a camera operator at the Escambia County Work Annex, commonly known as the road prison, on Highway 297A in Cantonment. He was allegedly familiar with blind spots in the camera system and used that knowledge to pass narcotics to an inmate.

The inmate, Alexander Maynard, told investigators that he met Banks in a blind spot out of camera view where he handed him a potato chip bag containing methamphetamine, cocaine and spice. Maynard, according to arrest report, had previously been caught by another corrections officer with several grams of synthetic cannabinoids (“spice”), cocaine, and methamphetamine. He told officers that they belonged to another inmate. Maynard was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of cocaine and smuggling contraband.

According to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, video surveillance showed Banks walk past Maynard. Maynard then follows him to a blind spot for the cameras. When Mayard comes back into view of the camera, it appears he has something in the front of his pants consistent with a potato chip bag, and something in his left hand. Banks then walks back into the camera’s field of view, the arrest report continues.

Banks told investigators that he drove to an address on East Kingsfield Road to pick up the narcotics, the arrest report states. Banks’ other statements were redacted from the report.

Banks’ mugshot is exempt from the release under Florida law due to his status as a corrections officer.

Comments

24 Responses to “Corrections Officer Accused Of Smuggling Narcotics Into Escambia Road Prison”

  1. William L on April 16th, 2021 11:35 am

    @addie Hate to tell you, but the law allows LE to “setup” someone that is dealing drugs or committing other crimes!!! Lawyer or not, he’s not getting out of this and will have to answer for his actions.

  2. Addie on April 14th, 2021 7:00 pm

    Yall big on calling this guy a dummy. If he knew where the blind spots were why would he allow himself to be videoed going into the blind spot and the police report states that he told the investigators where he went to pick up the narcotics but the other statements were redacted from the report… WHY? I hope this young man will get him a lawyer because this stinks of a SET UP!!!.

  3. Yvette C on April 14th, 2021 11:57 am

    I had a family member that was an addict and I told them I would send them to jail to get help. They told me it was easier to get drugs in jails and prisons then it was on the streets. Guess they were right. i hope justice is served on this individual.

  4. Matchbox on April 14th, 2021 12:38 am

    Wow…this was really stupid.. not only did he risk his freedom and his job…if he goes to jail now he is a narc…,you’re screwed… no one is going to trust you now no matter what road you choose to go down…and for what a little extra money,..so dumb..good luck

  5. TeedoffCO on April 14th, 2021 12:21 am

    I hope every dirty CO and LEO gets caught. They make our jobs 100% more difficult. I do not understand the mindset that drives one to turn criminal especially after seeing how much prison sucks

  6. Well on April 13th, 2021 8:01 pm

    Hey Molino resident…….
    Banks said in his statement he drove to east kingsfield road and picked up the narcotics.

    Sounds like a FACT !!!

  7. CO on April 13th, 2021 7:55 pm

    Former inmate, Spoken like an X Con. Probably didn’t get to the canteen enough

  8. Former Inmate on April 13th, 2021 5:01 pm

    @ Danny
    First LEO and CO’s job duties are not he same and a CO should make nothing close to the LEOs

    COs are literally glorified babysitters. And at Escambia County Jail, trust me they are getting paid exactly what they are worth.

  9. Deborah Daugherty on April 13th, 2021 5:00 pm

    I guess he wanted to see how it was to be on the good side of the law and the bad side of the law.Life is like a box of chocolates,you never know know which one you gonna get…

  10. Denny Newright on April 13th, 2021 3:40 pm

    LEOs and COs don’t get paid crap in Escambia. They should start off at least 60K for the first day in Academy, then increases as they go.

    The pennies they get paid is not worth the stress. I’d caution anyone getting into law enforcement or corrections to pick a different career. Not worth the stress…. the jail is severely understaffed and so is the street. Get out now before your cancelled and left out of a job.

  11. Jeffrey on April 13th, 2021 2:16 pm

    @Molino Resident
    Reported FACT: “Banks told investigators that he drove to an address on East Kingsfield Road to pick up the narcotics…”
    Hope that helps clear up some of the “negativity”

  12. Travis on April 13th, 2021 1:57 pm

    I I remember banks when I was there he ant the brightest bulb in the shed you could tell something was up but wow wonder how he fills now wow you dummy now you got to sell drugs the rest of your life or flip burgers.

  13. Molino resident on April 13th, 2021 1:13 pm

    Wow all these negative comments without knowing any FACTS!!!

  14. Just Me on April 13th, 2021 11:40 am

    Banks it looks like you really have turned your life around….instead of the DOC paying you to work at a prison we gonna have to pay the bill so you can live inside a prison…

  15. No Excuses on April 13th, 2021 10:09 am

    Don’t do it. The inmates will tell on you every time dummies.

  16. Denny on April 13th, 2021 10:08 am

    A good employee will inform his employer of the blind spots so they can be eliminated. A sorry employee does this. He ended this career, and any chance of another career in this life.

  17. CL on April 13th, 2021 9:50 am

    I hate that this happened to Banks and that he felt the need to go to this extent. He will pay for the consequences of his actions. In saying that…I do believe CO’s do not get paid enough to deal with the crap they have to deal with on a daily basis and that they are overlooked. There are still good CO’s out there that risk their lives everyday.

  18. Kathi Iannone on April 13th, 2021 9:35 am

    Well hello look at that……..inmates aren’t the only bad apple on the compound! What………..it is an officer! Wonder how many more corrupt and abuse of power officers there are?

  19. A Alex on April 13th, 2021 9:01 am

    Really, now the road crew will have a young new weed wacker.

  20. paul on April 13th, 2021 8:02 am

    How convenient for him, he already knows the layout of the place, with any justice he will experience it firsthand, some hard work of cutting weeds or filling potholes. The public should be able to view his mugshot, he betrayed the public trust, now he’s a criminal, nothing more..

  21. Geeeez on April 13th, 2021 6:38 am

    Not to smart there Banks…. Now deal with being known for not having neither integrality or character for the rest of your life…. and your family’s name suffers your consequences.

  22. JTV on April 13th, 2021 4:19 am

    Hopefully Banks’ mugshot can be plastered on this website after his guilty verdict.

  23. JTV on April 13th, 2021 4:14 am

    Take out the trash

  24. Jason on April 13th, 2021 1:47 am

    Nothing like trading a career for the title of “felon”. Gotta shake your head at the stupidity of those in the this career field who opt to circumvent protocols for personal gain. You may not get caught the first time, but sooner or later you are going to pay the piper.