Baxter County fires deputy for 2nd violation with inmate

A 7-year jail deputy of the Baxter County sheriff's office has been fired after a second incident this year with the same inmate in violation of the department's policy against personal contact between an employee and any person in custody, according to a termination letter released Tuesday.

Rose Gomez, 48, passed a note to 21-year-old Ryan Lindsey when he was in a visitation room Sept. 8, the termination letter states. The sheriff's office fired Gomez the next day after a review of the detention center camera system's footage of the visitation room, according to the letter, signed by Lt. Brad Lewis and Capt. Jeff Lewis.

Gomez did not appeal her termination within the three-day window allowed by county policy, Sheriff John Montgomery said.

In February, the sheriff's office suspended Gomez for three days after the department discovered that Lindsey, recently paroled from the Arkansas Department of Correction, had been staying at Gomez's residence in Mountain Home, the suspension letter states.

Gomez had placed money in his prison commissary account and communicated with him while he was incarcerated, according to the letter written by Montgomery.

Those actions violated the department's policy against "fraternizing, socializing, or engaging in close personal relationships with persons who have been convicted of a crime or crimes that constituted felonies in any State, Commonwealth or Federal Jurisdiction, other than immediate family members," Montgomery cited in the Feb. 28 letter, calling it an "integrity issue."

"You were responsible for supervising Ryan Lindsey while in custody in your capacity as Jailer/Matron, and will potentially be called upon to exercise that responsibility again in the future," Montgomery wrote.

Lindsey has been in the Baxter County jail since Aug. 12 on residential burglary, felony theft of property and parole violation charges in lieu of a $25,000 bond.

The disciplinary actions were first reported by the Baxter Bulletin on Tuesday.

Gomez did not return phone calls or a voicemail left Tuesday by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Gomez made $10.51 per hour, or about $22,000 per year, Montgomery said. She started at the department in June 2007 as a part-time jail deputy and began working full-time in May 2011, Montgomery said.

Gomez did not have any other disciplinary incidents, he said.

The department of about 90 people has had one other suspension this year and one demotion that Montgomery could recall Tuesday.

Earlier this month, Sgt. Michael Holland had his rank, grade and pay lowered after the department found that he had "inappropriate relations" with a jail deputy, according to a letter signed by Montgomery.

In June, jail Cpl. Selena Johnson was suspended for two days after the sheriff's office said she mishandled an inmate's mail, according to a suspension letter signed by Montgomery.

Metro on 09/17/2014

Upcoming Events