AMITE — A former maintenance worker who worked in the Tangipahoa Parish Jail was arrested Friday for taking an inmate out of the jail to buy weapons from him, deputies said.

Donald Hammons, 56, was arrested on one count of malfeasance in office.

Hammons was a Tangipahoa Parish Government employee assigned to conduct maintenance at the parish jail from 2010 until the sheriff’s office administration change in July.

After the new leadership took over, it was learned that Hammons allegedly had taken a trustee inmate from the jail back to the inmate’s home to buy weapons from the inmate.

Deputies said Hammons was immediately brought in for questioning where he admitted to the crime and surrendered the weapons involved. Hammons has since been fired from work with the parish, deputies said.