A former county jail employee who smuggled bullets and a gun clip to a convicted murderer, providing the inmate with the needed parts to make a working gun that he used in a failed escape, was sentenced yesterday in Lucas County Common Pleas Court.

Marion P. Crosby, 39, was sentenced by Judge Ruth Ann Franks to four years in prison for taking money from people outside the jail as payment to take the bullets, a cell phone, pizza, and other food into the locked-down facility for Prentiss Williams.

The former jail counselor seemed somber and showed little emotion as he was put in handcuffs by sheriff's deputies and taken from the courtroom to the county jail after he was sentenced.

The defendant's mother, who was surrounded by family and friends, broke down in tears as she watched the deputies take her son into custody.

Crosby was fired from the jail in October after Williams pulled a 9mm handgun from his waistband in a maximum-security area and fired twice through a metal door at a corrections officer, who managed to flee to safety.

The inmate pointed the gun at another officer, but surrendered the gun without further incident and was subdued. Williams was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in December for the murders of four people and for the attempted escape at the jail on Oct. 14.

Crosby pleaded guilty last month to two counts of bribery, but entered a no-contest plea to a separate count of bribery for smuggling the bullets and the gun magazine.

He apologized to the judge for the incidents, but tried to mitigate his involvement by saying he didn't realize the contents of the three packages he delivered to Williams in the weeks before he fired the gun.

Judge Franks said Crosby received up to $250 in bribes for the deliveries and he, as a public servant trained as a corrections officer, was fully aware that bringing items from outside the jail was illegal.

Judge Franks said the defendant created a dangerous situation and likely was aware the contents of the packages included other items than just food when he took them into the jail.

"You knew the weight of bullets. You knew the weight of a clip. You knew the weight of a pizza. You accepted money and delivered the items, including the clip and bullets, to a maximum-security unit. Your actions put the lives of every inmate and lives of every employee in the Lucas County jail in jeopardy," Judge Franks said.

In addition to smuggling the food items, cell phone, and parts that made the gun operable, Judge Franks also noted that Crosby opened mail sent to Williams and gave him marijuana and cash that was contained in the letters.

Crosby was the second former jail employee sentenced this year for smuggling contraband into the facility.

Scott Secord was fired as a corrections officer in August after he was busted in an undercover drug sting. Lucas County Common Pleas Judge James Bates sentenced Secord to two years in prison.