Feds: Man smuggled fentanyl into Campbell County jail; 2 inmates overdosed

Quinlan Bentley, Cincinnati Enquirer
·2 min read
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An inmate at the Campbell County Detention Center is accused of smuggling fentanyl into the jail and giving the drug to two other inmates, who later suffered an overdose in their cell, federal court records show.

Jonathan Stanley, 39, is charged with distribution of a controlled substance resulting in serious bodily injury, according to a Feb. 28 complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.

On Nov. 15, jail staff was notified of an issue inside cell 105, where they located an inmate suffering an apparent overdose, a Drug Enforcement Administration special agent said in an affidavit.

The man had collapsed, was unconscious and not breathing, the affidavit says, adding jail personnel had to administer Narcan.

After that inmate was taken to a local hospital, a second inmate in the same cell began displaying signs of an overdose, the document states. He was "unable to stand without assistance and was fading in and out of consciousness."

The second inmate was also administered Narcan and hospitalized, according to the affidavit.

If jail staff hadn't administered Narcan to the two men, they could've gone into respiratory arrest, which "would have caused permanent injury and death if not reversed by the medical treatment offered to each of them," the special agent said.

Narcan, which can reverse opioid overdose by restoring breathing, was used to treat two Campbell County jail inmates who overdosed in November.
Narcan, which can reverse opioid overdose by restoring breathing, was used to treat two Campbell County jail inmates who overdosed in November.

The inmates told investigators the fentanyl was provided by Stanley and that he expected payment, the special agent said.

Jail surveillance footage showed Stanley giving one of the inmates an unknown item, that he removed from inside the back of his pants, shortly before the first overdose occurred, according to the document.

Stanley was arrested on Nov. 8 for a supervised release violation stemming from a federal conviction for conspiracy to distribute heroin, the affidavit says, adding that several thousand dollars were confiscated from him at the time of his arrest, though officers didn't conduct a full search.

After a federal court hearing, Stanley was placed in an isolation cell for several days.

Investigators learned Stanley admitted to others that he was carrying a controlled substance while in isolation and that he planned to distribute it once placed in general population, according to the affidavit.

Since Stanley has a prior felony drug conviction, he could face possible penalties of life imprisonment, a $2 million fine and at least six years of supervised release, court documents state.

Stanley's attorney declined to comment on the case.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Feds: Man smuggled fentanyl into NKY jail; 2 inmates overdosed