An Alabama prison warden and his wife get arrested in north Alabama on drug charges.
The Alabama Department of Corrections said Chadwick Crabtree and his wife Melissa Crabtree were both charged with Unlawful Use of Marijuana II, Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance, Manufacturing of a Controlled Substance, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.”
Chadwick Ray Crabtree, 45, and Melissa Kay Crabtree, 55, were booked into the Limestone County Jail Friday morning, jail records show. Chad Crabtree is the warden at Limestone Correctional Facility in Harvest. He took over that role in 2022, following the retirement of the previous warden. He has been with the ADOC for more than 20 years.
The ADOC said its Law Enforcement Services Division (LESD), the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency SWAT, and Limestone County Sheriff’s Office executed search and arrest warrants at Crabtree’s home.
Court documents show the arrest of Chadwick Crabtree was made in connection with an incident in Limestone County on Sep. 1, 2022. The complaint says the charges are connected to the manufacture of psilocybin mushrooms, a form of psychedelic mushroom.
Chadwick Crabtree, an Elkmont native, has worked with ADOC for over 20 years and previously served as warden at the Birmingham Community Based Facility for women inmates, ADOC’s website shows. He is listed on its website as a ‘Warden III,’ the highest rank an officer can have at a prison.
The ADOC said both were taken into custody and transported to the Limestone County Jail without incident. The department said Crabtree was placed on mandatory leave without pay pending further personnel action.