Deputies face criminal charges

CALDWELL — Two deputies from the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office were fired in October following allegations that they encouraged the assault of an inmate at the Canyon County jail.

Kade McConnell, 23, and Corey Weathermon, 46, were terminated on Oct. 30 pending criminal charges from the Ada County prosecuting attorney.

The men are accused of encouraging gang members in the jail to “take care of” another inmate accused of sex crimes against children, according to a criminal complaint from the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

McConnell and Weathermon were arrested and booked into the Canyon County jail on Monday and then transferred to the Ada County Jail, according to Canyon County spokesman Joe Decker and Ada County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Shelley Akamatsu. Akamatsu said the former deputies’ move to Ada County Jail was for their protection.

McConnell is charged with solicitation to commit aggravated battery, and Weathermon is charged with aiding and abetting solicitation to commit aggravated battery.

The Canyon County Sheriff’s Office received a “deeply troubling” complaint from inmates about the deputies on Oct. 19, and command staff conducted a preliminary internal inquiry, according to a press release from the county.

The review confirmed that if the allegations were true, the deputies’ actions would be not only a “willful rejection” of jail policies and training, but would rise to the level of criminal conduct requiring an outside investigation, according to the press release.

After the internal review, the sheriff’s office immediately asked Ada County do an independent investigation, according to Canyon County.

According to the criminal complaint from the Ada County prosecutor’s office, McConnell allegedly showed a Sureño gang member confidential paperwork showing 11 charges of sexual crimes with children against another Sureño gang member on Oct. 13, 2017. The complaint alleges McConnell asked the inmate to have the gang “take care of it” while the inmate accused of sexual crimes was alone and unprotected at the Canyon County jail.

Weathermon is accused of encouraging McConnell to solicit inmates by printing a screenshot of the confidential paperwork showing 11 charges of sexual crimes with children and acting as a lookout while McConnell shared the information with four other inmates who were members of the Sureño gang, according to the complaint.

Weathermon began working for the Canyon County Jail on March 3, 2014, and McConnell began on June 6, 2016.

McConnell and Weathermon will be arraigned in 3rd District Court Tuesday.

A typical sealed door for a holding cell at the Canyon County jail in Caldwell.

Chris Bronson/IPT

A typical sealed door for a holding cell at the Canyon County jail in Caldwell.

Chris Bronson/IPT

Corey Weathermon

CANYON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

Kade McConnell

CANYON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE