Corrections officer arrested after raid at Muscogee youth detention center

A juvenile correctional officer at the Muscogee Youth Development Campus was arrested this morning for possessing marijuana following a “surprise pre-dawn raid” of the campus.

Darrion Tarver, 28, of Midland, has been charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, crossing guard lines with prohibited items and violating his oath of office, according to a press release from the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice.

He is being held in the Muscogee County Jail without bond, the release said.

Tarver was hired by the department in September 2015, according to the release. His employment was terminated following today’s arrest.

DJJ Commissioner Tyrone Oliver said Tarver’s actions “endangered the safety of his coworkers and other youth at the facility.”

“This surprise raid shows our commitment to uprooting any contraband to maintain facilities that are safe and secure,” Oliver said. “My top priority is to change the culture here at DJJ and that means holding myself and all personnel to the highest level of professional conduct.”

According to the release, the raid was led by DJJ’s Security Management and Response Team and Internal Investigation Unit. Other items discovered during the operation include cellphones, cellphone chargers and tobacco products.

The LaGrange Police Department K-9 Unit and the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the raid, and the investigation into contraband at the facility continues, the release said.

This story was originally published December 23, 2019 at 3:14 PM.