Pre-Dawn Raid Finds Contraband at Youth Facility; Juvenile Correctional Officer Arrested

Decatur, GA – The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice announced the arrest of a Juvenile Correctional Officer (JCO) following a surprise pre-dawn raid this morning of the agency’s Muscogee Youth Development Campus in Muscogee County.  

Arrested this morning was Darrion Tarver, 28, of Midland, Ga. He is charged with possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, crossing the guard lines with prohibited items and violation of oath of office. Tarver was transported to the Muscogee County Jail, where he is currently being held without bond.

“The actions of this officer endangered the safety of his coworkers and other youth at the facility,” said DJJ Commissioner Tyrone Oliver. “This surprise raid shows our commitment to uprooting any contraband to maintain facilities that are safe and secure. My top priority is to change the culture here at DJJ and that means holding myself and all personnel to the highest level of professional conduct.”

Tarver was hired as a JCO I by the Department in September 2015. A year later, he was promoted to a JCO II. Following today’s arrest, his employment was terminated.

The raid was led by DJJ’s Security Management and Response Team and Internal Investigation Unit. Items discovered during the operation include cellphones, cellphone chargers and tobacco products.

Commissioner Oliver would like to thank his staff, the LaGrange Police Department K-9 Unit, and the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office for assisting with today's operations. The investigation into contraband at the facility continues.