A D.C. Jail sergeant has been suspended while corrections officials probe allegations that he had sex with an inmate after paying for it through her pimp, according to officials and court documents.
The investigation has also led to the forced leave of two other corrections officers, one of whom was later fired over an unrelated issue, officials said. The three were removed from the D.C. Jail property, “after allegations of inappropriate behavior arose with an inmate,” according to Walter Fulton, facility program manager at the Correctional Treatment Center.
Authorities said they would not further discuss the allegations because of an ongoing law enforcement investigation, but some details were outlined in a lawsuit filed in D.C. federal court this month.
Jessica Rubio, 32, who described herself in court documents as a prostitute with a drug problem, was an inmate at the Correctional Treatment Facility, which is an annex of the D.C. Jail. She was in custody on a prostitution charge.
She charged in her lawsuit that she had sex with correctional counselor Sgt. Aundra Powell after he paid $50 to her “Sugar Daddy” for her to satisfy his sexual urges. She claims Powell paid for her sexual services on four occasions.
The sexual encounters began last year when Rubio received a receipt for the promised sex from her pimp and showed it to Powell after a group counseling session, she charged in the suit. “I see you received it,” Powell replied, according to the lawsuit.
Rubio’s attorney, Wendell Robinson, said he did not know what form the receipt was in and would not comment further than what was in the lawsuit.
In order to have sex with Rubio, the lawsuit alleges, Powell removed Rubio from her jail cell during the 2 p.m. “quiet time” and had her follow him to a satellite kitchen.
Powell walked her to a window and told her to look outside while he put on a condom and had sex with her, according to the lawsuit.
Rubio was released after serving her time, but was rearrested in April and convicted for prostitution in June 2009. It was then, she said, that Department of Corrections detectives questioned her about what happened between her and Powell. Rubio has since been transferred to the Rappahannock Regional Jail in Stafford, Va.
Walter Fulton, facility program manager at the Correctional Treatment Center, said Powell and two lieutenants were placed on paid leave as soon as the allegations surfaced.
Jail detectives are investigating, he said. Powell and a substance abuse counselor remain on administrative leave. Lt. Ricardo Rich, an assistant shift supervisor, was fired in June for unrelated reasons, Fulton said.
The Correctional Treatment Facility, at 19th and E streets Southeast, is managed by the Corrections Corp. of America and is staffed by employees of the District.
