GRAND FORKS — A correctional officer at the Grand Forks County Correctional Center has been arrested for allegedly smuggling contraband into the jail.
Sheriff Andy Schneider reported that the Sheriff’s Office received credible information suggesting a staff member was bringing prohibited items into the facility.
Following an investigation by the Grand Forks County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Officer Juan Ortiz Lopez was interviewed and subsequently arrested. He faces a Class A felony charge for the suspected delivery of an electronic device to an inmate and has been booked into jail.
During a search of inmate cells, authorities discovered a cellphone hidden inside a mattress.
Sheriff Schneider emphasized the department’s commitment to safety, stating, “The Sheriff’s Office has been focused on making the jail a safer place for inmates and correctional officers alike.”
He added, “The jail is staffed by honorable and respected corrections officers who show up to work and uphold the standard of professionalism they are held to every shift. Those that choose to break the law will be handled accordingly.”
