Home News Former Pike County jailer charged with theft from inmate

Former Pike County jailer charged with theft from inmate

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A former Pike County jailer has been charged with allegedly stealing from an inmate incarcerated at the Pike County Jail.

Adam R, Jones, 34, of Dierks was charged Dec. 2 in Pike County Circuit Court with one felony count and one misdemeanor count of theft of property. Jones made a court appearance Monday and pleaded not guilty to the charges and trials dates were set for February.

The charges stem from an incident that started Oct. 10 when Manuel Olvera-Moran was booked into the jail. An inventory of his possessions showed him to have a wallet containing a debit card, earrings and $581 cash.

On Nov. 10, immigration services came to the jail to pick up Olvera-Moran. It was then discovered his possessions were missing and could not be located. Immigration services was unable to assume custody of the prisoner and an investigation began.

Jones was the sole jail employee to acknowledge the missing property, telling his superiors he had released the money to a Hispanic female he thought was the prisoner’s sister. Jones could not remember the time, date or what happened to the property release form required by jail policy.

A review of surveillance video determined Jones had removed the possessions but “discredited the remainder of Jones’ statement about releasing the property to another individual,” according to case records. During a follow-up interview, Jones admitted to stealing the wallet and removing the cash and then hiding the discarded wallet in a storage room at the jail.

Olvera-Moran was eventually released to immigration officials after naming his brother as a designee of his missing property should it be recovered.

Jones was released on $5,000 bond. He is no longer employed the county.

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