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Another North Florida Correctional Officer Arrested On Contraband-Related Charges

Florida Department of Corrections

Another north Florida Correctional officer is facing felony charges related to contraband.

Sergeant Regina Belluz is accused with introducing contraband into two prison facilities: Madison and Cross City Correctional Institutions over the course of seven months.

According to Inspector General’s investigation, she confessed to having an improper relationship with an inmate and depositing money into the inmate’s trust fund account. Before her arrest, Belluz resigned.

“Well, contraband control is a constant battle between our officers and the inmate population,” said Florida Department of Corrections Spokesman McKinley Lewis.

A recently completed auditof several of the state’s correctional facilities states contraband control is weak among the institutions. And, Lewis says the agency is looking to do better.

“So, we will continue our efforts to ensure that our facilities are safe and contraband free,” he added. “And, we will explore ways in which we can improve our contraband prevention and detection efforts.”

Before Belluz, the most recent correctional officer arrested came from Okaloosa for also allegedly smuggling contraband.

For more news updates, follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter: @SaschaCordner.

Sascha Cordner has more than ten years of public radio experience. It includes working at NPR member station WUFT-FM in Gainesville for several years. She's worked in both radio and TV, serving in various capacities as a reporter, producer and anchor. She's also a graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in telecommunications. She is the recipient of 15 awards from the Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and Edward R. Murrow. Her award-winning stories include her coverage on the infamous “Dozier School for Boys” and a feature titled "Male Breast Cancer: Lost in the Sea of Pink." Currently, Sascha serves as the host and producer of local and state news content for the afternoon news program "All Things Considered" at WFSU. Sascha primarily covers criminal justice and social services issues. When she's not reporting, Sascha likes catching up on her favorite TV shows, singing and reading. Follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter:@SaschaCordner.