A Mobile County Metro Jail corrections officer resigned this week after being arrested and charged with multiple drug offenses, according to the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office.
The officer, 21-year-old David John Black, submitted his resignation Tuesday morning shortly after being taken into custody. He faces four counts of distributing marijuana, along with single counts of first-degree marijuana possession and possession of drug paraphernalia.
A sheriff’s office spokeswoman said it was not immediately clear whether the charges were connected to Black’s role at the jail. The Mobile Police Department led the investigation that resulted in the arrest, and additional details about the case were not released.
Records show Black joined the Mobile County Metro Jail as a cadet in June 2014 before being promoted to corrections officer this past January. His resignation took effect the same day he was booked.
The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, which operates the Metro Jail, has not indicated whether further internal review of the matter is planned. Corrections officers in Mobile County undergo state-mandated training before being certified to work inside the facility, which houses inmates awaiting trial as well as those serving shorter sentences.
Distribution of marijuana is a felony offense in Alabama, and a conviction on multiple counts can carry significant prison time depending on the quantity involved and a defendant’s criminal history. Court records had not yet listed a scheduled arraignment date at the time of Black’s booking.
Cases involving jail or law enforcement personnel are typically investigated by an outside agency, as occurred here, to avoid conflicts of interest and preserve public confidence in the outcome. The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office has periodically faced scrutiny over staffing and personnel conduct at the county-run facility, though officials have not suggested any connection between this case and prior incidents.
Neither the sheriff’s office nor Mobile police immediately released further information about how Black came under investigation or whether any inmates or other jail employees were involved in the underlying case.