Former Fairfax County deputy pleads guilty to drug trafficking to inmate

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Virginia (DC News Now) — A former Fairfax County Sheriff's Office (FCSO) deputy pleaded guilty Wednesday to trafficking drugs to jail inmates and giving them contraband and information in exchange for payments.

Robert Sanford Jr., 37, was a correctional officer at the Fairfax Adult Detention Center (ADC). Court documents indicate that between May 2021 and June 21, 2023, Sanford would smuggle contraband into the ADC and provide sensitive information to an inmate.

The contraband included a cell phone, quantities of fentanyl, cocaine and Suboxone. He gave the inmate latex gloves and glue to help him hide the contraband. The inmate would then sell the drugs to other inmates.

Additionally, Sanford would warn the inmate about cell searches, which cell blocks were going to be searched, if there were any strip searches, where the drug sniffing dogs were working, and information about other inmates including including those who could provide information to the authorities. that this inmate could intimidate potential witnesses, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

On May 4, 2023, FCSO deputies stripped and searched Sanford's co-conspirator and found a cell phone, two charging cables, a cell phone charger, a USB charging brick, 92 counterfeit oxycodone pills, 174 Suboxone strips and more than three grams of cocaine.

Sanford discovered the seizure the next day during roll call. He deleted his personal email address and username from his CashApp account which he allegedly used to obtain the bribes. He also deleted associated messages and stopped messaging and calling other inmates.

Less than two weeks after the seizure, Sanford began the process of resigning from his job, citing child care issues as the reason.

His sentencing is scheduled for September 18. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years on each of the two counts.