Dropping Like Flies: Yet Another York Corrections Officer Indicted for Smuggling Contraband to Inmate

Yet another York County Sheriff’s Department Corrections Officer has been indicted for allegedly smuggling contraband into the York County Jail, following three similar indictments in November.

York Sheriff William L. King issued a press release on Wednesday, announcing that a York Judicial Center Grand Jury indicted former York County Corrections Officer Jason Gilpatrick, 49, of Lebanon, along with two other suspects.

Gilpatrick was charged with trafficking in prison contraband after he allegedly provided a vape to Christiane Hollis, 48, of Lebanon, who was incarcerated on charges of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, unlawful possession of scheduled drugs, and violating conditions of release.

The Department began an investigation after corrections officers seized a vape from Hollis during a routine search of her cell in December.

Investigators interviewed witnesses, listened to recorded jail calls, and reviewed hours of security footage in an attempt to determine how Hollis received the contraband.

Eventually, investigators determined that then-corrections officer Gilpatrick was allegedly responsible for smuggling the contraband into the jail.

They believe that Christiane Hollis conspired with her daughter, Jasmine Hollis, 21, of Lebanon, and told her to work with Gilpatrick to arrange for the vape to be smuggled into the jail.

Investigators confronted Gilpatrick, who, according to Sheriff King, resigned immediately.

King claimed that Gilpatrick did not receive any benefit from the alleged smuggling, and he said that nothing else was smuggled in.

The press release does not explain why Gilpatrick would smuggle contraband to a prisoner with no benefit to himself, or why the inmate singled him out as a likely candidate to assist in the illegal activities.

According to York County employment records obtained by The Maine Wire, Gilpatrick began working at the county jail in 2025.

In addition to Gilpatrick’s charges, Christiane Hollis was charged with trafficking in prison contraband and violating conditions of release, and Jasmine Hollis was charged with trafficking in prison contraband.

Additional charges may follow for Jasmine and Christian for an unrelated crime.

“The York County Sheriff’s Office demands the highest ethical standards from our correctional officers, and our integrity is non-negotiable. Any violations of these values will be met with internal action and criminal prosecution if appropriate,” said King.

“We will not let the selfish actions of one individual disgrace the honorable work of all of our other correctional officers. We are proud of the work our officers do every day and the sacrifices they make to keep our communities safe,” he added.

Despite King’s assurances about the Department’s ethical standards, this is far from the only recent incident that has called those standards into question.

In November, just one month before the vape was allegedly found with Hollis, three corrections officers—Kayleigh Hamilton, 38, of Sanford; Emma Kehoe, 25, of Portsmouth, New Hampshire; and Zarek Melick, 26, of Lyman—were indicted for allegedly taking bribes to smuggle contraband into the jail.

All three had worked at the jail for approximately 18 months.

Last summer, another corrections officer resigned after The Maine Wire reached out to King requesting details on an incident in which a fugitive was arrested while living in her apartment.

More recently, in January, Corrections Officer Mauro I. Bernardo was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), though he has since been released.