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Sheriff's Captain and Jail Inmate Take Cozy Field Trip to Golf Course Together

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Photo by kulicki via Flickr

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You can't blame a man for wanting to improve his golf handicap -- which is why sheriff's captain Jeff Donahue reportedly brought inmate on a field trip to the golf course last summer.

According to the LA Times, Donahue found out that inmate Frank Carrillo was a pro golfer before being arrested for stealing jewelry, watches and a championship Dodger ring. One day, Donahue decided to take Carillo from the somewhat lax jail in the city of Avalon Catalina Island, where he was serving his sentence, to a nearby golf course to get some pointers on his swing.

The only problem with this picturesque scenario is that captains aren't supposed to fraternize with inmates. Also, trips outside the jail need high levels of clearance -- none of which Donahue seemed to have received -- and the captain also fudged jail records by saying that Carillo stayed at the jail that entire day.

The story came to light when one of Donahue's subordinates, deputy William Cordero, divulged the story to higher-ups. Donahue has since gone on medical leave, but Carillo doesn't deny the story at all -- in fact, he describes Donahue's swing in great detail to the Times -- and the investigation is ongoing.

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