Alva Review-Courier -

A Waynoka woman has been charged with sexual battery involving an inmate at James Crabtree Correctional Center (JCCC) in Helena.

Latona Morrill, 43, of Waynoka, was charged in Alfalfa County on Oct. 31 with sexual battery, a felony. This crime is punishable by imprisonment for up to ten years.

Court records show that on Jan. 16, 2019, officers at Bill Johnson Correctional Center (BJCC) in Alva reported observing Morrill engaging in friendly behavior with inmates in the kitchen. A search was conducted on Morrill’s listed telephone number that indicated she had been called unsuccessfully numerous times by inmate Shannon Campbell who was incarcerated at JCCC. Staff conducted a search of other calls made by Campbell and discovered he called another number approximately 3,000 times since January 2018. Staff listened to several of the phone calls and believed the woman on the other line to be Morrill.

Upon further investigation, staff discovered several deposits on Campbell’s JPay account by a person named Suzanne Smith and believe Smith could in fact be Morrill. Staff also learned that Smith deposited money on several other accounts as well.

On Jan. 23, 2019, Inspector General Johnny Blevins authorized and assigned an investigation to be conducted by Agent Pete Wagner.

On Feb. 8, 2019, Wagner interviewed Campbell. During the interview, he stated he and Morrill did kiss while she was employed in food service at JCCC and he worked in the kitchen. He said there were several times he would “cop a feel” on Morrill. Campbell also told Wagner Morrill would give money to his mother who put it on his books in order to keep Morrill’s name from being associated with him, according to the affidavit.

On Feb. 9, 2019, Agent Wagner received an email from Warden Becky Guffy at BJCC. It contained a letter sent by Morrill stating she was resigning her position at the facility. Agent Wagner also received a completed ineligibility for rehire form for Morrill.

On Feb. 12, Wagner interviewed Morrill. She said on Aug. 25, 2017, she gave Campbell her personal cellphone number, and he called her from another inmate’s phone. She said on Jan. 16, 2018, Campbell kissed her. She said she could think of four times he kissed her, and there were times when he would touch her. She denied any sexual contact, saying they only talked sexual on the phone.

Campbell eventually moved to BJCC in Alva because she received a promotion.

Asked how she deposited money in Campbell’s account, Morrill said she first sent money to his mother. When the mother became afraid of losing her benefits, she began to mail the payments in the form of money orders. Finally she began to pay through an account owned by her daughter.