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Ciampi, who faces no charges, was corporal, now a correctional officer over his connection to drug case.
WILKES-BARRE – The Luzerne County prison board on Monday demoted a prison guard who was implicated, but not charged, in connection with a drug case.
Joseph Ciampi was demoted from corporal to correctional officer based on his involvement in a drug case that led to charges against four current and former prison guards.
The demotion will have little impact on Ciampi financially as he will continue to earn $53,078, which is about $400 less than he earned as a corporal, according to Warden Joseph Piazza. He said Ciampi’s pay rate as a correctional officer is based on his 21 years of service at the facility.
Ciampi, 43, was suspended without pay on March 11, one day after his name surfaced in an arrest affidavit that was filed against fellow correctional officers Chris Walsh and Jason Fierman, and former correctional officers Kevin Warman and John Carey.
According to the affidavit, Ciampi admitted he purchased cocaine from Walsh at least four times between late 2008 and early 2009. Ciampi, who is cooperating with authorities, has not been charged in connection with the case.
Stephen Menn, attorney for the prison board, said Ciampi was reinstated on March 29 but did not receive any back pay from the date of his suspension. Menn said Ciampi agreed to the demotion after a disciplinary hearing before the board.
“He was not arrested, but we believe some of his actions illustrated poor judgment. He met with the board and agreed to accept a demotion,” Menn said.
Fierman and Walsh remain on unpaid suspension pending resolution of their criminal cases. Warman and Carey were previously fired.
Authorities say Fierman and Warman, a nurse who worked in the prison’s infirmary, provided drugs to inmates and other guards. Carey is accused of purchasing drugs from another former guard, John Gonda, who was fired for his involvement in a previous drug case, while Walsh is accused of selling drugs to Ciampi, but not to inmates.
In other business, the board also demoted Cpl. Eugene Wicht to the position of correctional officer. Piazza said that demotion, which Wicht agreed to, was based on a disciplinary issue that was unrelated to Ciampi’s case.