PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office announced charges Thursday against a former Philly prison guard who they said helped an inmate smuggle drugs into the prison to sell. The grand jury investigation was unsealed earlier this week — and is connected to a murder.
Prosecutors said Barry Garland, who was in prison for a 2010 robbery conviction, ran a drug trafficking ring between July and October 2021 inside Riverside Correctional Facility, along State Road, using a contraband cell phone found inside his cell.
According to prosecutors, Garland directed now-former Corrections Officer Khalif Workman, nicknamed "Pizza Man," to bring K2, a synthetic marijuana, and other drugs into the prison, which he could sell to other inmates. The former guard is accused of taking about $23,000 in bribes using Cash App.
He and his co-defendants were charged in September, but details were sealed until this week when a judge signed off on releasing the grand jury presentment.
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"He was in touch with individuals outside the prison as well through his contraband cell phone," said Assistant District Attorney Daniel Margolskee. According to Margolskee, investigators discovered a wealth of information in the phone, including "text messages between these associates giving the times when these particular drugs would be delivered [and] the amounts of money that were given from other inmates to purchase these narcotics. "
"In October of 2021," Margolskee said, "he learned that one of his associates outside the prison, had been murdered in Southwest Philadelphia."
Prosecutors alleged Garland arranged for his associate Lashawnda Crawford to buy an AR-15, which they believed would be later be used in a shooting. Crawford and another woman, Ashline Garcia Cruz, were accused of helping Garland drop "the goods" for Workman to bring into the prison.
Workman, Garland and Crawford face conspiracy, bribery and drug and gun charges. Cruz faces drug charges. Officials say the investigation is ongoing.
Prisons Department spokesperson John Mitchell said, "The [Philadelphia Department of Prisons] remains committed to doing everything we can to identify individuals who make deliberate decisions to introduce contraband inside our facilities."
Editor’s update, Dec. 28, 2023
Barry Garland pleaded guilty in late Sept. 2023 to drug, conspiracy, bribery and gun charges. He was sentenced to five to 10 years in prison, but 20 years probation. All charges against Ashline Garcia Cruz were withdrawn. The other two defendants, Lawshawnda Crawford and Khalif Workman, have a trial set for March.
Editor’s update, March 27, 2024
In March 2024, Khalif Workman pleaded guilty to some of the charges, including bribery, conspiracy and drug charges. He is set to be sentenced in August.
Editor’s update, Oct. 10, 2024
In late September, Khalif Workman pleaded guilty to four of the charges and the district attorney dropped the rest. Workman pleaded guilty to bribery, conspiracy and drug charges and was sentenced to 1 ½ to three years behind bars.