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| Pa. Co. Officials Unsure How Inmate Went to Va. Unnoticed |
| By The Express-Times |
| Published: 06/19/2003 |
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Northampton County officials are investigating how a Virginia man serving time in Northampton County Prison could allegedly deal and transport drugs between states while away from the prison through the county work-release program. Kyle J. Arnott, 26, was stripped of his work-release privileges and placed in lockdown June 10 after county officials learned that he had left Pennsylvania on work release without permission from his field officer. Arnott's case came to light after state drug agents tracked him and his girlfriend, Christina Redmon, 21, driving to Virginia to allegedly transport drugs. The agents charged Redmon with attempting to traffic $50,000 worth of methamphetamines that were found in a hotel where the couple had rented a room during the road trip. Arnott has not been charged with crimes related to the incident, although officials expect charges to come soon. Northampton County Warden Todd Buskirk said prison officials allowed Arnott to work for his own company, K. Arnott Trucking, while on work release. Buskirk said it's common for inmates to work for their own companies, though it's usually for jobs such as roofing, painting and paving. It's also common for work release inmates to get permission to leave the Lehigh Valley for work. But Arnott was supposed to be doing maintenance work on the trucks leased by his business, not traveling between states. County officials still have not determined why Arnott's field officer did not know that Arnott had left the state, Buskirk said. Arnott had no prior criminal record when he pleaded guilty in January to stealing an ATV from a garage with operations in Portland, Pa., and Columbia, N.J. Arnott served two months in county prison before being transferred to the work-release program in March, where he was allowed to do work for his trucking business, court officials said. He was eligible to be transferred to house arrest in May, though it wasn't clear why he was still living in the county Community Corrections Center, court officials said. Arnott is a resident of Churchville, Va., with no Pennsylvania residence. But last week, agents from the Pennsylvania Bureau of Narcotics Investigation alleged that Arnott had used his work-release job to take part in a drug ring. The drugs were allegedly sold at 'a local hotel near the prison.' The state agents arranged to buy a pound of methamphetamine from Arnott then tracked him as he traveled to Virginia with Redmon to get the drugs. County Executive Glenn Reibman said last week it was sad Arnott apparently chose to abuse the county's work-release program. 'The main job of the county prison is to rehabilitate and to get them back out into the community as productive citizens,' Reibman said. 'It's a shame. Work release is a good rehabilitation tool.' |
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