NEW ORLEANS — A 55-year-old Orleans Parish deputy recruit has been arrested in connection with enabling and watching fights and smuggling drugs into the Orleans Justice Center, according to the sheriff’s office.
Robert Simon was arrested and booked with 10 counts of introduction of contraband into a penal institution and 10 counts of malfeasance in office. That goes along with counts of principle to aggravated second-degree battery, malfeasance in office and obstruction of justice for his role in at least one fight that left a detainee with 13 stab wounds.
According to the sheriff’s office, Simon was present at a fight between two inmates on September 9, knew about the presence of a shank and delayed calling for backup in order to watch. The sheriff’s office said that body camera audio had Simon describing how he knew the location of the weapon and that he told the combatants that if they gave him the shank, he wouldn’t report how he had gotten it.
In that fight, one victim was treated for stab wounds across his back, left flank, right arm and abdomen.
The audio also has Simon talking about other incidents in which he placed “hits” on detainees in order to have them engage in fights.
The sheriff’s office said that Simon also confessed to meeting with others outside of the jail to bring in illegal narcotics in exchange for money on at least 10 different occasions.
Simon had been with the sheriff’s office for about 16 months.