Former correctional officer sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for distributing narcotics in the Dyer County jail
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE - WESTERN DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE:
Former Correctional Officer Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Narcotics in the Dyer County Jail
Jackson, TN – A former correctional officer for the Dyer County Sheriff’s Department was sentenced on December 29, 2025. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the sentence today.
According to the information presented in court, Tyrell Wallace, a guard at the Dyer County Jail, reported to work on October 24, 2024. Investigators stopped Wallace and announced an administrative search. Inside Wallace’s waistband, investigators recovered 53 grams of actual methamphetamine with a purity level of 100%, 165 grams of marijuana, 26 grams of fentanyl, 3 grams of crack cocaine, 8 Suboxone strips, and a Motorola cellular telephone.
Investigators then searched Wallace’s vehicle where they recovered a loaded 9mm handgun and 40 rounds of ammunition. During a post-arrest interview, Wallace confessed that he planned to introduce the narcotics to inmates. Investigators then sought a search warrant for Wallace’s cellphone which revealed it was the third time he delivered controlled substances to the jail.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: “Official misconduct by public officers in positions of trust and authority undermines the foundational integrity of our government institutions and the security of correctional facilities. We will root out, expose, and hold accountable those officials who violate their oath for personal gain by introducing illegal narcotics into jails and prisons.”
On September 26, 2025, the defendant pled guilty to violating 21 U.S.C. §841(a) for knowingly possessing actual methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. United States District Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced the defendant to 120 months of incarceration followed by 5 years of supervised release.
The Dyer County Sheriff’s Department and Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Hays prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. SAUSA Hays is currently assigned from the 29th Judicial District Attorney General’s Office.
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