Criminal justice advocate accused of 'evil plan' to sneak guns into Nashville detention center, sheriff says

Nashville criminal justice advocate Alex Friedmann, 50, hid loaded guns when he sneaked into the incomplete Downtown Detention Center, according to Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall.

Friedmann was arrested Tuesday evening on a felony vandalism charge.

Hall said Friedmann was carrying out a "deliberate, evil" plan to plant tools and weapons to assist in a "massive escape" involving loss of life.

"We are not confident we've found everything," Hall said Wednesday morning. "We are not going to work here until we're comfortable."

There is no clear opening date for the detention center, and between labor and equipment, the cost to repair the damage is $2 million and rising, Hall said.

Friedmann faces previous charges of attempted burglary, tampering with evidence and possession of burglary tools in connection with what the sheriff's office called a series of break-ins to the detention center.

"This has never been done anywhere. It will forever change how correctional facilities are built," Hall said.

The initial charges date back to a discovery made Dec. 30 by officers in the facility's control room who noticed a set of keys that appeared to be different than others.

An audit determined that two facility keys were missing.

"Upon reviewing video surveillance, an individual dressed like a construction worker wearing a yellow vest and dust mask and matching the description of Friedmann was seen spray painting around the key control room door," the sheriff's office said in a January news release.

Authorities allege Friedmann entered the facility under false pretenses on at least three other occasions. Hall said Wednesday that the break-ins began "many months" before the DCSO took occupancy of the structure in early November.

When he was detained in early January by Metro Nashville police, officers reported they found him with several items including a cooler containing bolt cutters, an item known as a key chit that is used to help identify keys, and documents identified as schematics of the detention center.

"Friedmann was also seen on video trying to destroy this document by 'ripping it and chewing it up,'" according to the sheriff's office.

Three loaded guns and tools were found in the jail during the investigation following Friedmann's initial arrest.

Three other men were likely involved in the break-ins, MNPD said Wednesday. They have not been identified and it was not immediately clear what charges they may face.

Police searched Friedmann's Broadmoor Drive home on Friday. Items they seized are being analyzed by electronics experts.

'This has never been done'

The new charges include a Class A felony vandalism charge for damages over $250,000. A grand jury handed down the sealed indictment Feb. 11, according to court documents.

Class A felonies are the most severe charges and carry the highest penalties. Hall said Wednesday that the investigation is ongoing.

It was not immediately clear if other charges against Friedmann are pending, but the district attorney's office confirmed additional charges could be filed.

The DCSO announced they plan to replace nearly 2,000 locks after the alleged security breach before the opening of the new facility. The cost of the lock repairs alone totals $361,056, a DCSO spokesperson said Wednesday morning.

The center, a 762-bed, maximum security facility, has yet to open and is in its final stages of construction.

It will now not open until Hall is satisfied it has been swept of all items planted in the break-ins. He confirmed Wednesday that some areas of the facility will need specialized equipment to confirm that no items left behind remain in the building.

Hall does not believe the facility needs a complete redesign to become safe and secure again, but that some areas have been compromised and will need attention.

The break-ins and possible escape plan were unprecedented, the sheriff said.

Hall is on many national sheriffs' boards, including currently serving as president of the National Sheriffs' Association. He said his contacts across the country are paying close attention to the case.

The Metro Nashville Police Department said it was keeping federal law enforcement updated on the investigation.

Friedmann is a longtime criminal justice advocate and the former managing editor of Prison Legal News. The Human Rights Defense Center, which publishes the news service, confirmed Wednesday that he resigned from his position in January after his original arrest.

He was part of a team of advocates that regularly met with Hall and others from the DCSO to discuss other agency facilities, but Hall stressed Wednesday that the discussions did not involve the Downtown Detention Center.

Friedmann remained in custody Wednesday morning in lieu of $2.5 million bond. He has been represented by attorney Benjamin Raybin since the initial charges.

Raybin confirmed that the new indictment was related to the previous alleged activity inside the facility and not new events. Friedmann surrendered himself immediately after learning of the new charge, the attorney said in an emailed statement Wednesday afternoon. He declined to comment further on the facts in the case.

Due to the security concerns associated with his charges, Hall confirmed Friedmann was being held in state custody.

TDOC confirmed Friedmann was being held as a safekeeper at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution on Wednesday. Safekeepers, under Tennessee law, are defendants who have been court-ordered into TDOC custody but who have not been formally sentenced to a state facility.

This coverage is ongoing, check back for updates.

Reach reporter Mariah Timms at mtimms@tennessean.com or 615-259-8344 and on Twitter @MariahTimms.