Two Durham Detention Employees Arrested in Separate Contraband and Drug Conspiracies
DURHAM, NC — Two now-former employees of the Durham County Detention Center have been arrested in connection with separate contraband and drug conspiracy cases, the Durham County Sheriff’s Office announced on Friday, October 25, 2024.
Former Detention Officer Arrested on Contraband Charges
Nicole Locke, 45, of Raleigh, a former detention officer, has been charged with multiple felonies after allegedly providing contraband to an inmate. According to warrants, Locke, who was previously a sergeant at the facility, is accused of supplying a cell phone and vape device to inmate Darrius L. Tyson. Tyson is currently serving time for murder and kidnapping.
Locke faces two counts of felony contraband conspiracy, one count of misdemeanor contraband conspiracy, and one count of feloniously providing a cell phone to Tyson. According to Sheriff Clarence Birkhead, she has since been released on a $15,000 unsecured bond and is no longer employed by the Durham County Detention Center.
“I will not stand for any activity which contradicts our mission in the care and custody of the people confined to the Durham County Detention Facility,” said Sheriff Birkhead in a statement. “Be it a sheriff’s office employee or a contractor, we must hold everyone who interacts with our residents to a high standard.”
Nurse Charged With Drug Conspiracy Involving Inmate
On the same day, the sheriff’s office announced the arrest of former contracted nurse Briana Ashley Bowie, 31, of Durham. Bowie has been charged with felony offenses related to a drug conspiracy. Arrest warrants allege that she conspired to sell a Schedule VI controlled substance and provided contraband to inmate Antwan Le’Mont Teasley. Both offenses occurred on Sept. 19.
Bowie, who was contracted to work at the jail, is accused of bringing marijuana into the facility and distributing it to Teasley, who has been incarcerated since last June on various charges, including assault. Court records indicate Teasley now faces additional charges for conspiring to sell marijuana and possessing marijuana within the jail.
Bowie has been released on a $5,000 unsecured bond and is scheduled for a disposition hearing on November 18. She is no longer employed at the jail, and her employer has been informed of the charges against her.
Sheriff Birkhead reaffirmed his commitment to upholding strict standards of conduct, stating, “We must hold everyone who interacts with our residents to a high standard.”