Inmate Punished for Role in Iowa Prison Scandal

The inmate at the center of a cellphone smuggling investigation at an Iowa prison was punished with confinement and a return to his home state of Kansas.

Records released Tuesday to The Associated Press identify the inmate as Wesley Ziegler, who's serving a Kansas sentence for robbery and kidnapping. Ziegler had been incarcerated at the Anamosa State Penitentiary in Iowa under a transfer agreement.

The discovery of Ziegler's cellphone last year prompted a lengthy investigation. Four guards eventually pleaded guilty to charges while nine employees lost their jobs.

Records show Ziegler is the only inmate to face discipline. Prosecutors say he worked with a guard to smuggle in phones in exchange for a $200 payment.

Ziegler was sentenced to detention in October and transferred to a Kansas prison.