(La Porte County, IN) - A prison guard at Westville Correctional Facility is accused of taking $100 from an inmate to bring him marijuana.

 

Deandre Champion, 28, is charged in La Porte Superior Court 2 with Level 5 felony bribery and Level 6 felony official misconduct.

 

According to court documents, prison authorities in early March began investigating when information developed that Champion was heard discussing with other individuals that he received money to bring a bag of marijuana into the facility and give it to an inmate.

 

He was also overheard saying he received the money on a CashApp, authorities said.

 

According to court documents, Champion after confronted denied the allegations but, eventually, admitted receiving the money but claimed he never brought in the marijuana.

 

He also told prison authorities he threatened the inmate with a conduct report if he lashed out at him for not living up to his end of the deal, authorities said. 

 

The Portage man was being held in the La Porte County Jail on $15,000 pending his initial court hearing on the charges on Tuesday.