Grand Jury: Youngstown prison counselor slipped cocaine, gadgets to inmate

YOUNGSTOWN —   A one-time counselor at the private prison on Hubbard Road slipped cocaine, cigarettes, cell phones and MP3 players to an inmate, the government said.

A federal grand jury in Cleveland issued a two-count indictment Thursday charging Michael K. Pearson, 35, of Fairmont Avenue with bribery and providing contraband in prison.   The indictment describes Pearson as a public official who accepted cash from an inmate for the prohibited items.

The indictment charges that Pearson brought   contraband into the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center from January through August 2006.

Pearson could not be reached.

Read Friday's Vindicator for a complete story.