City prosecutors on Tuesday dropped all charges against a Central Booking guard accused of participating in a ring that stole inmates? credit cards at the jail.
Latoya Renee James, 24, of Parkville ? along with former correctional officer Lontona Maria Webb, 38, and her boyfriend, Michael Moore, 26, both of Baltimore ? was charged in July with multiple counts of credit card theft, identity fraud and misconduct in office.
But prosecutors said the case against James was weak and dropped the charges against her because of “insufficient evidence,” according to Joseph Sviatko, a spokesman for the Baltimore City State?s Attorney?s Office.
Maryland prison spokesman Mark Vernarelli said James had been placed on administrative leave because of the charges but did not know the officer?s status now that she?s been cleared.
Court documents allege that between November 2006 and March, eight defendants who were processed at Central Booking reported their credit cards stolen and used during their incarceration.
Among the eight victims was public defender Nicholas Panteleakis, who was arrested on a loitering charge in February. That charge was dropped.
The officers allegedly used the cards at Target and Wal-Mart stores, documents state.
Webb took various credit cards that she and Moore used to purchase items in Baltimore City and Baltimore County, prosecutors said.
During a search and seizure warrant executed at Webb?s home, police recovered additional credit cards belonging to people who had been booked at Central Booking, according to police.
In a statement, Benjamin Brown, assistant commissioner for the division of pretrial detention and services, stressed that Central Booking processes close to 100,000 people every year.
“We get very, very few complaints of lost or stolen property, given the high volume of bookings processed each year,” he said. “We do not believe this was a large-scale, organized effort, but we remain committed to working with the State?s Attorney?s Office in the event it broadens.”
Webb and Moore are both scheduled to go on trial Jan. 10, 2008.
