OCALA — A state corrections officer has been arrested on suspicion of trying to smuggle methamphetamine, a cellphone and other items into a north Florida prison.
The Ocala Star-Banner reports that prison guard David Allen Gale was caught with the items during an employee search while entering the Marion Correctional Institution, a men's prison.
The Marion County Sheriff's Office says the 35-year-old Gale told authorities the meth -- found in a pack of cigarettes -- was not his. He says he borrowed the cigarettes and didn't know the drugs were inside.
Authorities say the phone and a charger were found in Gale's lunch box.