Ex-Kansas prison guard charged in prison drug-smuggling

HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A former Kansas prison guard will stand trial on 10 counts related to a drug-smuggling case at a Hutchinson prison.

The Hutchinson News reports that Zachary Wood was bound over for trial last week following a preliminary hearing on counts ranging from possession with intent to distribute to trafficking in a correctional facility.

Prosecutors say Wood tried to smuggle drugs into the prison last summer after arranging sales with three women.

The three women are charged with conspiracy to traffic in a penal institution and also appeared in court Thursday.

Denisha Starnes, Esther Davis and Stephanie Thindiu — along with Wood — were all set for formal arraignment on Feb. 1.