West Hempstead resident Javel Welch, age 38, was arraigned on Thursday, March 30, for multiple charges regarding the alleged contraband, according to the Nassau County District Attorney.
Welch was searched upon reporting to the Nassau County Correctional Center in East Meadow, where he has worked as a correctional officer for nearly a year. Searching officers reportedly found a cell phone – an item that not even staff members are authorized to have in the prison – as well as a small Bible with pages containing K2 residue.
K2 is a synthetic version of THC (the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana) and is classified as a “designer drug” by the US Drug Enforcement Agency.
Officers then searched Welch’s car, where they found a loaded semi-automatic Glock improperly stored in the car’s center console, prosecutors said.
Welch was suspended from his position upon his arrest. In all, he is charged with:
- First-degree promoting prison contraband
- Second-degree promoting prison contraband
- First-degree failure to safely store rifles, shotguns, and firearms
If convicted, he faces up to seven years in prison.
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