A 30 year old former Vandalia resident and Correctional Officer at the Vandalia Correctional Center has been charged with multiple counts after being arrested when attempting to enter the prison for work on Tuesday. 30 year old Cody J. Hawkins was formally charged on Wednesday in Fayette County Court. One count against Hawkins is Bringing Contraband Into a Penal Institution. The information on that charge states that “defendant knowingly and without authority of any person designated or authorized to grant such authority, brought an item of contraband, Vicodin, into the Vandalia Correction Center.” The charge is a Class One Felony and punishable by 4 to 15 years in prison. Hawkins was also charged with Official Misconduct in that “the defendant, a public employee, a correctional officer, while acting in his official capacity knowingly performed an act which he knew was forbidden by law in that he committed the offense of Unlawful Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance by accepting $500 in cash in exchange for providing an inmate at the Vandalia Correctional Center with narcotics.” This charge is a Class 3 Felony and punishable by 2 ½ to 5 years in prison. Hawkins is also charged with Unlawful Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance, which is also a Class 3 Felony.
Hawkins appeared in court on Wednesday morning in front of Judge Don Sheafor. Hawkins requested a public defender, but that request was denied. Bond was set at $200,000 and a preliminary hearing was set for October 13th at 10 am.