The Pennsylvania Attorney General has charged two SCI corrections officers and a former detainee with drug trafficking inside SCI Fayette.
Corrections officers Beau Angelo, 37, and Charity Thompson, 40, were charged, along with former inmate Vadol Lewis, 33, following a recommendation by the 54th statewide investigating grand jury, Attorney General Dave Sunday revealed.
Each is charged with felony charges of corrupt organizations, conspiracy, contraband, and delivery of a controlled substance, as well as associated offenses, stemming from trafficking uncovered in late 2024.
Angelo and Thompson, who are no longer working as prison officers, turned themselves in, and each received $50,000 in unsecured bail. Lewis is currently imprisoned in Allegheny County and will be arraigned shortly.
“This case involves a betrayal of sworn oaths to protect the public and conduct that threatens the public’s confidence in all officers with duties to keep their communities safe,” Sunday stated. “I commend the work of the investigative agencies who acted professionally and diligently to uncover this criminal organization and thank the grand jurors for committing their precious time to hear testimony that led to the filing of serious charges.”
Angelo and Thompson were accused of giving convicts K2 and Suboxone in exchange for payment, sometimes through applications like CashApp. Lewis, a former inmate at SCI Fayette, was suspected of delivering the drugs to the police for transport into the facility.
During the inquiry, search warrants were executed at the officers’ houses, and drugs were seized from a prison cell.
Major Serell C. Ulrich, the Director of the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, stated:
“These defendants violated their oaths as law enforcement officers by smuggling illegal drugs into a correctional facility in exchange for cash payment. The introduction of narcotics into a correctional facility endangers the safety of staff and inmates alike and undermines the integrity of the entire corrections system. The PSP commends the approximate 18 months of collaborative investigative work by the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Drug Law Enforcement Division, and the Department of Corrections, Bureau of Investigative Intelligence for this investigation, and recognizes the Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Corrections for their continued partnership in keeping our communities safe from dangerous drugs.”
The Pennsylvania State Police, the Department of Corrections, and the Office of the Attorney General all filed charges.
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