Liberty County correctional officer arrested for allegedly stealing from inmates while on duty

A former correctional officer is facing a felony charge after she was accused of stealing nearly $1,500 from inmates at the Liberty County Jail while on duty.

Mayra Gallegos-Balderas, 23, surrendered herself to the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office on a theft warrant July 16, according to a release from the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office. Gallegos-Balderas has served as a correctional officer with GEO, the private company that contracts with the county to operate the county jail, since Oct. 2018, according to the release

Investigators linked Gallegos-Balderas to nearly $1,500 in stolen money reported by three different former inmates at the jail after they were released. She was charged with theft of property of $750 to $2500, a class A misdemeanor, according to the release.

Since Gallegos-Balderas was considered a public servant and she allegedly stole the money while on duty, the charge was enhanced to a state jail felony.

She was released on a personal recognizance bond, the release stated.