Former Augusta County prison guard charged with bribery

STAUNTON -- Authorities have charged a former county prison guard with bribery as part of a ring they say delivered drugs to inmates.

For months April M. Hogsett, 26, of Doe Hill, used her position at the Augusta County Correctional Center to work as a liaison between prisoners and an outside drug source, according to court records.

Three months after arresting Hogsett on charges she delivered marijuana to an inmate, authorities this week charged her with bribery. Inmates Anthony Roach and Charles Daniel Koberstein Jr., both 33, also have been charged with bribery.

Authorities declined to comment on the latest charges.

According to court records, an investigator with the state Corrections Department inspector general's office learned about the drug-delivery scheme when an informant told authorities in July that Hogsett was in contact with inmates known for distributing drugs in prison.

According to authorities, Roach routinely passed out slips of paper to interested inmates. Each sheet contained contact information for his drug source, Kelly Tianna Morris, they said.

Authorities on Tuesday charged Morris with drug delivery.

In late July, Special Agent Lawrence Drury III with the inspector general's office obtained a warrant to search Hogsett's pickup truck. He found letters, addresses and plastic baggies, all of which helped lead to Hogsett's arrest Aug. 1.

Drury used phone-call recordings, text-message records and money orders to link Hogsett to Morris.

Roach is being held on a six-year gun and drug conviction from Henrico County.

A Department of Corrections spokesman would not discuss the investigation, but he said Hogsett started work at the county prison last year and remained employed as of Aug. 7, six days after her arrest. He declined to clarify the nature of Hogsett's dismissal.

Hogsett is scheduled to appear before an Augusta County Circuit Court judge Monday for a plea hearing on the two felony charges. She remains free on a $2,500 bond.

There are no established sentencing guidelines for her felony charges, Augusta County Assistant Commwonwealth's Attorney Thomas Knoll Jr. said.

Chase Purdy is a staff writer for The News Virginian in Waynesboro.