FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A Broward sheriff's deputy assigned to work at the Broward County Jail is accused of spending his shifts using his cellphone instead of conducting security checks.
Oreth Smith was arrested Tuesday after an investigation that also showed that he falsified inmate head count records at the Broward County Jail, officials said.
Recommended Videos
The 34-year-old deputy is charged with official misconduct and introducing contraband into the jail.
Broward Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Veda Coleman-Wright said Smith has been suspended without pay.
According to a letter sent to Smith from Internal Affairs, Smith was ordered to surrender his BSO ID and any BSO-issued weapons.
He is also not allowed to drive a BSO vehicle or enter any BSO facility during his suspension without the approval of Internal Affairs.
File: Oreth Smith arrest warrant
An arrest warrant said an inmate complained in July 2016 that Smith wasn't conducting checks or head counts. His supervisors watched surveillance videos to confirm the allegations.
Officials said it's against the agency's policy for deputies to have personal cellphones in the jail.
Smith was released on bond. Records don't list an attorney.
Smith was reassigned to restricted administrative duty July 25, 2016, as part of an investigation into how murder suspect Dayonte Resiles was able to escape from the Broward County courthouse.
Authorities said it's unclear whether Smith had a role in the escape.
"The public corruption investigation continues," Coleman-Wright said. "So far, investigators have found no evidence connecting the deputy to the Resiles escape."
Smith has been employed by the BSO since April 2, 2007.