Weeks after two additional arrests, more Durham detention center employees face charges :: WRAL.com

The Durham County Sheriff’s Office said it took disciplinary action against a detention officer and a civilian contractor Friday evening.

According to Durham County Sheriff Clarence Burkhead, 45-year-old Nicole Locke, who was a sergeant at the detention center, was arrested Friday and charged with the following crimes.

• Two counts of conspiracy.
• Providing a telephone/electronic device to an inmate was an offense.
• One count of misdemeanor conspiracy.

Deputies said Locke was released on $15,000 unsecured bail.

According to Locke’s arrest warrant, Locke provided components for a cell phone to an inmate in August.

In reviewing the warrant, WRAL News discovered that the inmate who received the cell phone was the same inmate who was accused of having sex with two former detention center employees.

Both former employees have been charged and WRAL News is not publicly identifying the inmate.

The second person, 31-year-old Briana Bowie, a former nurse contracted to the detention center, was also arrested and charged with conspiracy to distribute Schedule VI controlled substances.

Bowie’s arrest warrant accuses Bowie of bringing marijuana into the detention center and giving it to an inmate. The arrest warrants then said the inmate planned to sell the drugs inside the prison.

The sheriff said that neither Locke nor Bowie are anymore associated with the detention center.

“I will not tolerate any activity that contradicts our mission in the care and custody of those incarcerated at the Durham County Detention Center. Be it a sheriff’s office employee or a contractor,” he said in a statement to WRAL News. “We must hold everyone who interacts with our residents to a high standard.”