Former Wyoming Probation Officer Receives, Violates Probation
Former Wyoming Probation Officer Receives, Violates Probation
by Derek Gilna
A former Wyoming Department of Corrections probation officer was placed on probation herself following her conviction on drug and theft charges.
Ruby Maddox, 36, was enrolled in a rehabilitation center to address her addiction to prescription medication as part of a plea agreement after she admitted to stealing drugs from probationers she was responsible for supervising. She was also charged with stealing a puppy from a probationer and taking money from a charity event.
Maddox received probation plus a suspended prison sentence of three-to-five years in April 2013 after pleading guilty to one felony count of possession of a controlled substance and four counts of petty larceny.
During her initial three-year term of supervised probation, Maddox was ordered to complete a program at the Casper Re-Entry Center. Maddox has Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder; she was admitted in mid-2013 to Wyoming Recovery for addiction to painkillers.
“A person can get in trouble with it before you know it,” her attorney, Tom Smith, said about his client’s abuse of prescription drugs.
Maddox was initially arrested in October 2012 following an investigation by the Natrona County Sheriff’s Office and the Wyoming Department of Corrections’ internal affairs office. Two women probationers supervised by Maddox told investigators how their prescription painkillers turned up missing after she “accidentally” spilled them on the floor.
One woman, who had told Maddox that she was prescribed hydrocodone for dental pain, thought it strange that her pills went missing after a visit by her probation officer.
The same probationer also accused Maddox of stealing her puppy. She told investigators the former probation officer convinced her that the puppy was unsuitable for her and she had to give it away. When she agreed, Maddox took possession of the puppy and said she had found a new home for the dog. That new home turned out to be Maddox’s own, an investigator later discovered, and the puppy was returned to its original owner.
A second probationer also reported missing prescription painkillers after Maddox visited her home. Additionally, prosecutors charged Maddox with stealing money she had collected from co-workers for a fundraising event and keeping it for her own use.
When imposing probation and the suspended prison sentence, Natrona County District Judge Catherine Wilking said Maddox had damaged the public’s trust by using her position with the Wyoming Department of Corrections to serve her own purposes.
“Without faith and fidelity in the probation and parole system, nothing works in the judicial system,” Wilking stated.
“She has abused a position of trust in this community,” added Natrona County District Attorney Michael Blonigen. “She had power over these people, and she exploited them.”
In May 2013, Maddox was terminated from the Casper Re-Entry Center for violating her probation by taking more than her regular amount of prescription medication. She was arrested due to the violation, but later reinstated on a new three-year probation term.
Sources: www.correctionsone.com, http://trib.com, http://k2radio.com
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