JASPER, Fla. — A former Hamilton County Correctional Institution officer was arrested last week on unlawful compensation charges.

According to an affidavit, an investigation began in November 2017 into 22-year-old Ray Cone following an inmate request received at HCI on Nov. 14, 2017.

The request stated the inmate had a verbal agreement with the officer at Hamilton Correctional Institution Work Camp in which the inmate’s family would send money to multiple people at the officer’s request in order for the inmate to receive a transfer closer to home, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit states that the inmate’s family sent the monies requested by officer but he had not received his transfer and the inmate was requesting a resolution from the HCI classification team.

During an interview that day, the inmate told an inspector where contraband was hidden in several locations outside inmate worksites, according to the affidavit. The contraband was recovered during a search of those locations by staff, the affidavit states.

Also on Nov. 14, a family member of the inmate agreed to email the inspector all the money transactions she sent on the inmate’s behalf, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit states that all of the names were connected to approved visitors of another inmate housed at the HCI work camp.

The second inmate allegedly told the investigators on Nov. 15 that Cone was “dirty” and was introducing drugs and cell phones into the HCI work camp, the affidavit states.

The inmate also said the money was sent to his family as payment for dropping off cigarettes at multiple external inmate work sites, according to the affidavit. He said that other inmates on the work crews would then bring the cigarettes into the facility.

The affidavit states the inmate was adamant that the payments were only for cigarettes and denied introducing other forms of contraband.

The first inmate then told investigators that Cone provided the information on whom to send the payments to, but denied buying any cigarettes, according to the affidavit.

He also told the investigators to talk to another inmate, alleging that he was Cone’s “right hand man,” the affidavit states.

That inmate allegedly admitted to being “plugged in,” and dealing with Cone for the cigarettes, the affidavit states.

According to the affidavit, the third inmate, who was in confinement at the HCI annex, allegedly told investigators that he had requested protection or “checked in” after setting up a deal between Cone and another inmate. But Cone was reassigned to the annex and it looked like he had ripped off the other inmate.

The third inmate also said he had sent two wire transfers to a member of Cone’s family, stating it was for cigarettes, the affidavit states.

A December subpoena turned up two Money Gram transactions for $100 on Oct. 14 and another $100 on Oct. 22, according to the affidavit.