Questions raised after federal investigation of Cambria County Prison

EBENSBURG, Pa. (WTAJ) – New questions and concerns about security at the Cambria County Prison have been raised following the removal of multiple federal prisoners prompted by an FBI raid of the facility in February.

An investigation led by the Cambria County District Attorney’s Office into numerous inmates has been turned over to federal authorities, according to Sheriff Don Robertson, Chairman of the Cambria County Prison Board. In February, the FBI searched the jail, seizing contraband including suboxone and cell phones that were in the possession of the inmates. Following the raid, numerous prisoners were relocated to other jails.

Some of the inmates that were removed from the prison have ties to organized crime, according to Robertson, but he is unsure with which groups they are affiliated. Robertson also said that all of the relocated inmates were only being housed in Cambria County and are prisoners of the U.S. Marshals Services. Also according to Robertson, many employees of the prison, including himself, “feel better with those people gone.”

Our partners at the Tribune-Democrat have previously reported that inmates for the U.S. Marshals were being held at the Cambria County Prison to generate revenue and offset the financial losses incurred by the prison from opting out of a contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The prison entered into a new contract last year, which put them in line with larger counties such as Dauphin County.

Cambria County Prison Warden Christian Smith has not yet returned a phone call placed to him on April 4 for comment.

The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office have both declined to comment at this time, stating that they can neither confirm nor deny the existence of an ongoing investigation.

However, in a phone call with WTAJ, District Attorney Gregory Neugebaur confirmed the existence of the investigation, stating, “We are working with federal law enforcement relative to this issue and I’d refer any additional comment to them as this is an ongoing investigation.”

In a statement emailed to WTAJ, Cambria County Solicitor Ronald N. Repak said that the “contraband in question” was found as part of a routine search in Fall 2023 and that the evidence was turned over to federal authorities as the contraband was found on federal detainees being housed at the jail per the contract between the jail and the U.S. Marshals Services. He denies there was an FBI raid, despite information provided by the District Attorney and Sheriff about the FBI activity at the prison in February.

Repak wrote that due to the pending nature of the cases against the federal detainees, the prison has no further comment at this time.

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