Sampson County correctional employee arrested after contraband found

CLINTON, NC (WTVD) -- A Correction Enterprises employee is facing charges Friday after he was accused of attempting to bring contraband into the Sampson Correctional Institution Laundry facility.

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Correctional staff discovered nearly 59 grams of marijuana, two cell phones, and tobacco in a duffle bag as Christopher Bishop was trying to enter the facility just before 3 p.m. Friday.

The Clinton Police Department was called in to investigate. Bishop has been charged with two felonies: Providing a phone to an inmate, and providing contraband to an inmate, along with a misdemeanor charge of providing products to an inmate.

His bail was set at $5,000.

Bishop, 42, a second-shift supervisor at the Sampson Laundry, has been with Correction Enterprises for three-and-a-half years. He has been placed on leave pending the outcome of an investigation.

"I want to commend the alert staff who stopped the contraband from making it into the facility," Public Safety Secretary Erik A. Hooks said. "I also want to thank the Clinton Police Department for their prompt response. The safety and security of our employees, the inmates and the public are our top priority, and we will work to ensure those who violate the public trust face the consequences."

Editor's note: A photo previously used with this story and provided by the NC Department of Public Safety was not that of Christopher Bishop. NC DPS informed ABC11 of the error. The photo has been permanently removed.