A DeKalb County grand jury has indicted a former sheriff’s deputy and an inmate on charges tied to alleged corruption and criminal activity within the DeKalb County Jail.
Just the Facts:
• Joann Marks, Former Deputy
• Marks, 27, faces charges including sexual contact by an employee or agent in the first degree, two counts of violation of oath by a public officer, and items prohibited for possession by inmates.
• In April, jail staff discovered contraband in an inmate’s cell, prompting an investigation. Marks admitted to providing a cellphone and cigarettes to the inmate and engaging in sexual contact with him.
• Marks was arrested and dismissed from her position on the same day the Sheriff’s Office uncovered her actions.
• Marks surrendered to authorities and is scheduled for arraignment on December 23. Her case will be prosecuted by the District Attorney’s Anti-Corruption Unit.
• Tobias Woods, Inmate
• Woods, 45, has been charged with felony murder, two counts of distributing controlled substances, and possession of items prohibited for inmates.
• The charges stem from the March fentanyl overdose death of inmate Christon Collins, 27.
• Surveillance footage reportedly showed Woods selling fentanyl to Collins and actively hindering efforts to get medical aid for him. Collins was found unresponsive hours after the overdose and later died in the hospital.
• Woods was apprehended by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit and awaits arraignment. His case will be handled by the District Attorney’s Major Crimes Division.
In Context: The indictments follow increased scrutiny on jailhouse safety and corruption across Georgia.
“Our investigation into the death of Christon Collins and how those deadly drugs got into the jail is still open and active,” Boston said. “Crimes that happen inside the jail will not be ignored just because the people impacted are behind bars.”
What’s Next: Marks and Woods will face arraignment as investigations continue. Officials are still probing how fentanyl entered the jail, signaling the possibility of further indictments or institutional reforms.
