Live Oak — A Suwannee Correctional Institution officer was arrested Wednesday morning for trying to bring drugs onto SCI property for compensation, the Florida Department of Corrections reports.
Howard Taylor Jr., 29, 4725 NW Lake Jeffery Road, Lake City, faces charges of unlawful compensation or reward for official behavior and conspiracy to introduce contraband into a correctional facility.
According to DOC reports, Inspector Christopher Hancock of the Department’s Inspector General’s Office, acting on a tip, found that on June 16 Taylor unlawfully conspired with SCI inmate Carlos Mendoza to bring marijuana into the prison. Then on June 21, Taylor reportedly received compensation with the intent to commit unlawful acts in his capacity as a correctional officer. The amount of the compensation is unknown.
Taylor was arrested by Hancock and booked into the Suwannee County Jail. Taylor has since been released on a $25,000 bond.
The DOC states that Taylor “will be terminated in an extraordinary dismissal action” which is now in process.
Taylor was hired by the DOC on Oct. 11, 2002. He worked on the day shift in the infirmary, the DOC stated.
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