Female prison warden charged with raping inmate in men’s lockup

A female prison warden has been charged with raping an inmate holed up inside a men’s jail.

Johnesha Rucker, 28, was nabbed at her home Monday by a Tennessee fugitive apprehension team over the alleged sexual assault first reported in February, WMC reported.

Cops received a tip-off on Feb. 9 that she allegedly raped the inmate at the men’s jail, 201 Poplar, in downtown Memphis.

Johnesha Rucker, 28, is accused of raping an inmate holed up inside a men’s lockup. Shelby County Sheriff's Office

Rucker resigned from her role as a corrections deputy, which she had held since November 2023, before being indicted on rape, misconduct, and forgery charges. She faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted. 

Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr said his office “will not tolerate the misconduct of any employee and will continue to hold our employees accountable to the highest ethical standards to ensure our public’s trust.”

Rucker is being held in the city’s female prison on a $100,000 bond.