Veteran Rowan County corrections officer arrested on drug charges

ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — A 12-year employee and sergeant with the North Carolina Department of Corrections-Piedmont Correctional was arrested Thursday on multiple drug charges, the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Authorities got a search warrant and searched Tasha Redmond's home on Oct. 20 and found a gram of suspected heroin, around 21 grams of marijuana, three handguns, ammunition, $5,700 in cash and drug paraphernalia.

Redmond, 35, of Salisbury, was charged with felonious maintaining a dwelling, possession of heroin and possession of marijuana.

Her bond was set at $4,000 secured.

Before searching her home on Vista Drive, investigators stopped Jarvis Lamont Pate, 35, in a vehicle on Webb Road in Salisbury. Pate was found in possession of 12 grams of heroin and 21 grams of marijuana.

Pate also lived at the home on Vista Drive with Redmond and had a lengthy criminal history, including four convictions for drugs, one for voluntary manslaughter and one for felony restraint.

Simultaneous with Pate’s traffic stop, investigations searched the home of 37-year-old Kimberly Guske on Old Concord Road in Salisbury.

During that search, investigators found three grams of methamphetamine ice, scales and other drug paraphernalia to include used and unused needles consistent with intravenous drug use.

Pate and Guske, who were already in the Rowan County Detention Center, were given additional charges related to the incident.

Pate was charged with one count of conspiracy to traffic heroin by possession while Guske was charged with conspiracy to traffic heroin by possession and possession of methamphetamine.

Guske was placed under an additional $50,000 bond.

Her cousins and father said they don't believe the allegations against the correctional officer.

"Why would she mess all that up just for that,” cousin Michelle Redmond said. “And they just slander her name like that."

Deputies said Pate, who has already been convicted and served time for manslaughter, lived with Redmond. Channel 9 learned part of Pate's sentence was at Piedmont Correctional where Redmond works.

A spokesperson with the North Carolina Department of Public Safety could not say whether or not Redmond ever supervised Pate during those two months he was there in the fall of 2015 prior to his release.

Family members wouldn't discuss the relationship either, maintaining her innocence.

“I don't know nothing about no heroin,” father John Redmond said. “I know she worked all her life to raise her children and she never did no drugs her whole life. No sir."

Redmond is still employed at the prison but as an administrator.

The investigation is ongoing and other charges are possible.

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