A corrections officer colluded with prisoners and two women from the outside to smuggle Spice, alcohol and other items into the state prison in Sumter County, Pasco County authorities said Wednesday.

The alleged smuggling operation was uncovered by the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, which got involved when inmate Jason Adams escaped from a work detail near State Road 54 in Lutz last Sept. 8.

Adams was caught in Hillsborough County a day later, but Pasco investigators spent months investigating the case.

Arrested Tuesday were former Sumter corrections officer Henry Randolph Blackwelder, 45, of Bushnell; Stacey Ann Petty, 46, of Hudson; and Jessica Hope Morgan, 24, of Hudson.

Blackwelder oversaw the 5-man work detail from which Adams escaped. Authorities said Wednesday that the officer called in the escape at 6:30 p.m, telling his supervisors he last saw Adams at 6 p.m., but surveillance video and other evidence showed that Adams actually left the detail well before 5 p.m.

A taxi driver dropped Adams off at the downtown Tampa Greyhound bus station at 6:44 p.m., which was before Pasco deputies were even on the scene of the escape, according to Blackwelder's arrest affidavit.

Investigators say Adams not only admitted that Blackwelder was in on the escape, but also that the officer let him leave several times on previous occasions to obtain contraband.

Petty and Morgan are accused of smuggling food, alcohol and electronic communication contraband to the inmates. Investigators say Morgan said she knew her actions were wrong, but she continued because she "fell in love" with one of the inmates on the detail.

The arrest affidavits also revealed that after Adams' escape, investigators found evidence concealed in the rectums of the inmates from the work detail that tested positive for Spice. Tobacco, alcohol, food and Spice were found at Blackwelder's work area.

The affidavit also alleges that Blackwelder let inmates consume food and alcohol contraband under his supervision and that the officer received food, tobacco and money in return.

“Prison is supposed to be tough and something you don’t want to go to, he was allowing it to be basically a party out there for them," Sheriff Chris Nocco said.

Blackwelder was charged with official misconduct, receiving unlawful compensation as a law enforcement official, introducing contraband into a correctional facility, giving intoxicating beverage to an inmate and giving articles of food or clothing to an inmate.

Petty and Morgan each were charged with smuggling contraband to inmates.