The cushy life of prisoner who was taken shopping by jailor

Kevin Bell was so trusted he was even allowed to eat dinner at his parents' house

Kevin Bell was so trusted he was even allowed to eat dinner at his parents' house

Like plenty of fathers, Kevin Bell took his young daughter to a party in a restaurant for her birthday. He just had to get a ride from his jail cell to do it.

While serving his final six years for cocaine trafficking, Bell left jail for more than the party in 2006. In fact, his daughter was conceived after jail officials sprung him to attend a holiday dinner nearly three years earlier.

The good life: Kevin Bell left jail dozens of times. He was serving 13 years for selling drugs. pic/ap

He had a $20,000 (Rs 9.5 lakh) bank account and deposited money into it by selling items on eBay for deputies, jailers and even the sheriff, according to an investigation. It's a good thing that Bell was earning money,
though. After all, he had to pay his cellphone bill and needed money for his planned wedding to one of his jailers.

The bizarre prison term of Bell, who was released last year, has launched a criminal probe in the state of South Carolina. While behind bars, Bell became so trusted that he ran a business washing government cars, was driven by an officer to shop and was allowed to eat dinner at his parents' house.

Selling drugs

"Everyone at the jail knew of Kevin's relationship and other activities. It was overlooked," said Robin Murphy, a jail employee.

Bell (42) went to prison after being caught selling drugs in 1996. He pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine and was sentenced to 13 years in prison. In 2002, Cherokee County officials requested Bell be sent to their jail to serve out his state prison sentence. It wasn't long after Bell's arrival that the rules started to bend. He left jail dozens, if not hundreds, of times, according to the prison report issued late last year. One jailer let Bell go unaccompanied to the bank, while another took him to McDonald's. Another sheriff's deputy drove his own wife, two children and Bell to the restaurant party.

When state investigators searched Bell's cell, they found an invitation to his wedding to a female guard with whom Bell admitted having sex in the jail.