HALIFAX COUNTY — Two North Carolina prison employees are under investigation for allegedly extorting money from inmates.

State auditors were called to the Tillery Correction Facility in Halifax County after someone found serious discrepancies in the inmate welfare fund. Profits from the prison canteen and inmate phone calls go into the fund and help pay for various prison programs.

Investigators suspect a prison officer and an administrator were stealing from the fund.

"We take all these concerns seriously. We look into them just as seriously as we would anything, whether it involves an allegation of abuse or anything like that," says Keith Acree of the N.C. Department of Correction. "We'll look into it and get to the bottom of it, and take whatever action based on what the investigation turns up."

The prison officer has resigned his job. The administrator has been placed on paid leave pending the outcome of the investigation. Since it is still a personnel matter, the employees' names are not being released.