A Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office corrections deputy arrested for smuggling items into the jail and communicating with a female inmate had allegedly been in contact with her for months, according to the affidavit of probable cause (APC) filed in
Whatcom County Superior Court.
On February 8, sheriff’s office deputies arrested Christopher Frederic Baetz, 41, on suspicion of introducing contraband into a correctional facility in the second degree.
“Members of the sheriff’s office charged with the custody, care, and well-being of inmates are held to very high standards,” sheriff Bill Elfo said in February 9 media release on the arrest. “The criminal conduct of Mr. Baetz in this matter represents a complete abrogation of those standards, expectations, and organizational norms. His actions are not representative of the value of other sheriff’s office employees. I appreciate that this incident was quickly reported and swiftly dealt with.”
According to the department, Baetz has worked for the sheriff’s office since 2006 and will be released from duty pending appropriate administrative action. In a follow-up email to The Northern Light, sheriff’s office spokesperson Deb Slater said the sheriff’s office followed standard protocol and placed Baetz on administrative leave effective February 8.
Slater said there have been no other complaints or internal affair investigations involving Baetz.
On February 7, an inmate at the minimum-security Whatcom County Work Center handed a letter to another corrections deputy relating to concerns about a female inmate, according to the affidavit. The letter said the woman had been in possession of a cell phone for months.
Deputies searched the three-person unit where the female inmate was incarcerated. Upon strip-searching the woman, deputies found a bag of prescription and nonprescription medications, according to the APC.
During the search, a deputy witnessed the woman attempt to hide a cell phone. A vape pen, a number of phone chargers, an electronic cigarette pen, two Velcro sticky pads, one electronic cigarette pouch, a bottle of e-juice, two individually packaged marijuana gummies and a pair of headphones were also found.
After being questioned, the woman admitted to owning the contraband items and told deputies they could identify who was giving her the items by looking at text messages on the phone. She said it was a deputy but would not identify which one it was.
A deputy looked through the phone and found messages from four different people and was able to tell it was someone named “Batman” who was bringing the contraband. The deputy found texts from “Batman” stating who he was working with on certain dates, and photos from him along with other personal information that allowed the deputy to identify Baetz as “Batman.”
The first reporting inmate confirmed Baetz as the deputy supplying contraband. The woman told the investigating officers that she and Baetz had been passing notes for several months while he was on duty. Baetz would also call into the unit on the attorney phone at night and talk for hours with the woman, the inmate said.
The next day, February 8, sheriff’s office detectives conducted a further investigation. During the interview, the woman said she had a panic attack after her first month of incarceration, and Baetz calmed her down by talking to her. She said they started a “genuine friendship” after that and would talk about their lives.
Baetz and the woman started exchanging letters about three months ago that detailed their lives, kids and other personal information. The woman said two of the letters were of a sexual nature – Baetz describing sexual fantasies. She said they would also talk about normal things that got her through the “day-to-day stuff.”
The woman asked Baetz to get her a cell phone in mid-January. He brought it to her in a brown paper bag during breakfast, and she used it to talk to him by text and phone calls. She also sent about a dozen photos to Baetz. The woman said they would talk both while he was on and off duty.
Baetz started providing her with contraband in a brown paper bag at breakfast, during clothing and towel exchanges and he would place things in her shower.
After the woman told him about her anxiety, Baetz brought her three marijuana gummies to help, and she allegedly ate one.
The woman sent Baetz $45 through PayPal because she didn’t want him to pay for everything. He used the $45 to buy food online that he was going to bring in to her, but it hadn’t arrived by the time of his arrest.
Baetz was arrested upon arriving to work and was booked into Skagit County Jail. He was released on personal recognizance and has an arraignment hearing set for Friday, February 26 at 9 a.m., according to court records.
The article's headline has been updated to clarify the corrections deputy worked at the Whatcom County Jail.
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