Pennsylvania county guard jailed on drug-smuggling charges

BEDFORD, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania county jail guard is on the other side of the bars now that he’s been charged with trying to smuggle drugs to an inmate.

Timothy Crognale, 26, of Central City, faces a preliminary hearing Nov. 4 on contraband charges.

Pennsylvania State Police say they set up a sting Wednesday outside the Bedford County Jail after being tipped off that Crognale might be smuggling contraband into the jail.

An informant told police that Crognale was given access to an inmate’s bank account in return for buying the inmate drugs.

Police say Crognale told the informant he was willing to do that again, and a trooper posing as the inmate’s brother sold Crognale some drugs outside the jail. They were really breath mints.