Who is Karen Payton? WIki, Biography, Age, Fire from Job, Charges

Payton, who joined the department in August 2019, allegedly engaged in a sexual act with an inmate and gave him a tobacco product while in custody at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center in Charlotte. There is no place for this type of conduct or behavior in our detention facility or agency,” McFadden said. “We face too many daily challenges here at MCSO to allow such behavior and activity to continue that could compromise the safety of our staff and residents.”

Karen Payton Fired from Job

The allegations against Payton do not reflect the “professionalism and high standards” required of sheriff’s department personnel, McFadden said. Sheriff’s officials said they could not provide additional information about the ongoing criminal investigation.

Payton, of Charlotte, was arrested Tuesday for three felonies of engaging in a sex act with an inmate in jail and one misdemeanor of providing tobacco to an inmate. His bond was set at $ 2,000 and he is no longer in custody early Wednesday, jail records show. It is unclear if he has retained an attorney who can speak on his behalf.

Payton, also known as Karen Goldberg, is at least the fifth McFadden staff employee, and the second female detention officer, to be fired in the past five months, the Charlotte Observer reported. The alleged misconduct ranged from a DUI arrest to reports of fights with inmates. In one case, McFadden fired 28-year-old detention officer Kyle Harris in June following charges of sex crimes in the alleged assault on a transgender inmate, the newspaper reported. At least three inmates have died in jail this year, according to the report.