October 11, 2023
Thom Carroll/For PhillyVoice
Antoine Williams, 27, has been charged with smuggling drugs and selling them to inmates at Chester County Prison, where he worked as a correctional officer.
A correctional officer at Chester County Prison has been arrested for allegedly smuggling drugs into the facility in gloves and small trash bags, and then selling them to inmates.
Antoine Williams, 27, of Philadelphia, allegedly sold tobacco, Suboxone, Percocet and K-2, a synthetic cannabinoid to inmates, Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan said Tuesday. Relatives and associates of the inmates allegedly paid Williams for the substances through a cash app.
Chester County Prison is the facility that convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante escaped from in late August.
The investigation into Williams began after an inmate told a prison guard in June that Williams allegedly had given Suboxone, a drug used to treat opioid addiction, to his former cell mate, Jonathan Aguilera, and received payment through a cash app, prosecutors said. Another inmate also claimed that Williams had distributed drugs to other inmates in Aguilera's cell block using gloves and trash bags.
Security footage allegedly shows Williams in an office area of the prison with gloves and small trash bags. Prosecutors said he was seen placing the bags on cell bars throughout the prison.
Investigators also met with Aguilera, who alleged that Williams brought Suboxone, marijuana and Percocet into Chester County Prison on multiple occasions. Investigators said they found a roll of trash bags in his prison cell and that his urine tested positive for Suboxone.
Williams allegedly received multiple cash app payments on behalf of Aguilera, ranging from $50 to $400, between June 5 and June 23.
"The defendant was hired as a correctional officer to uphold the law and keep order in the prison, but he completely violated his position of authority," Ryan said. "No one is above the law. My office will hold him accountable for his unlawful actions."
Williams has been charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and related offenses.
Williams was released on $150,000 unsecured bail, meaning he does not have to pay anything unless he fails to appear in court. He has a preliminary hearing Oct. 18.
Chester Count Prison is undergoing a series of security enhancements, including added personnel and security camera upgrades, following the escape of Cavalcante. Officials also are considering the use of K9 units and ankle bracelets for more high-risk inmates.
