Skyler Herring Indicted for Smuggling Phones, Tobacco to Inmates

A Northeast Ohio prison guard has been charged with trafficking contraband into one of the state’s most tightly secured lockups. Skyler Herring, 27, of Youngstown, was indicted by a federal grand jury on three counts tied to smuggling cell phones and tobacco into the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center (NEOCC), where he worked as a correctional officer.

The indictment alleges Herring accepted electronic payments through a mobile payment app in exchange for sneaking prohibited items to inmates between November 2018 and August 2019. Federal prosecutors say the scheme exploited his badge and breached the most basic duties of a law enforcement officer sworn to uphold prison security.

Herring’s role gave him unchecked access to restricted areas, a trust he allegedly betrayed for personal profit. The cell phones and tobacco were delivered directly into the hands of inmates, enabling unauthorized communication and fueling underground prison economies that often lead to further criminal activity behind bars.

The investigation was led by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General and the FBI’s Cleveland Division, agencies that have cracked down on corruption within federal and private correctional facilities across the Midwest. Authorities say digital transaction records and internal prison surveillance helped build the case against Herring.

If convicted, Herring faces federal penalties that include prison time, fines, and permanent loss of employment in law enforcement. The court will weigh his prior criminal record, if any, his role in the offenses, and the severity of the violations when determining sentencing. The statutory maximum for such crimes remains severe, though actual sentences often vary.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Seabury Gould. A trial date has not been set. An indictment is not evidence of guilt, and Herring is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.