A Cuyahoga County corrections officer resigned in November after investigators say he accepted cash to sneak fast food and a smartwatch to inmates inside the county jail. Records obtained by reporters allege the officer brought food into the facility at least five times and pocketed roughly $1,500 to $3,000 for those deliveries. Personnel files show he had worked at the Justice Center for about 18 months before stepping down.
Allegations and resignation
Investigators identify the officer as 35-year-old Preston Chandler. According to their reports, Chandler met a woman, took cash from her, and carried a Tupperware container filled with food and candy into a housing unit for inmates. They also allege he bought a smartwatch for an inmate and smuggled it inside the jail. Court records show Chandler had an active arrest warrant in Franklin County when he was hired and that he was later convicted of misdemeanor criminal trespass, according to News 5 Cleveland.
Union calls for stricter screening
Adam Chaloupka of the Ohio Patrolmen's Benevolent Association said the alleged conduct "violated the public trust and violated the trust and safety and security" of the jail and questioned whether Chandler should have been hired at all, per News 5 Cleveland. He renewed the union's calls for more intensive screening of applicants, including deeper background checks and even polygraph testing, arguing that tougher vetting could help prevent similar breaches.
Part of a wider problem
The case lands on top of a string of misconduct and contraband investigations involving county corrections staff. A 2022 press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Ohio detailed a corrections officer charged with accepting bribes and smuggling contraband, and local reporting has documented a separate federal drug investigation into a county officer earlier this year, per U.S. Attorney’s Office and Cleveland 19/WOIO.
Where this occurred
The allegations center on posts inside the Cuyahoga County Corrections Center at 1215 West 3rd Street in downtown Cleveland, according to the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office information page. The county site lists contact numbers for the facility, along with booking information and visitation rules for the Justice Center complex.
Legal implications
Accepting bribes and carrying contraband into a jail can lead to state or federal criminal charges. Past prosecutions in the Northern District of Ohio show that similar cases have drawn federal involvement, with charges that have included bribery and illegal conveyance of prohibited items. Those examples highlight how serious the current allegations could become if prosecutors decide to move forward.
Union leaders say the public release of investigative and personnel records should add pressure for changes in hiring and oversight practices at the Justice Center. For now, the documents obtained by reporters remain the main public view into what happened and how the county responded.
