Green Hill School inmates charged for alleged drug possession between 2021 and 2023 after warrant served

Dec. 19—Several Green Hill School inmates are now facing charges in Lewis County Superior Court stemming from alleged drug offenses that took place in the facility between January 2021 and October 2023.

Of the four cases filed in Lewis County Superior Court on Nov. 16, three stem from a series of incident reports Green Hill sent to the Centralia Police Department from Sept. 5 to Sept. 7 of this year, days after Joint Narcotic Enforcement Team (JNET) detectives executed a search warrant at the facility and seized evidence related to the possession and distribution of illegal controlled substances at Green Hill.

During the execution of the search warrant on Aug. 31, JNET detectives reportedly located lockers where Green Hill staff stored contraband found within their facility dating back to 2017, including illegal controlled substances, cellphones, vape pens, improvised knives, handwritten documents arranging illegal drug transactions, and hand tools, according to previous Chronicle reporting.

In the incident reports sent to the Centralia Police Department in September, Green Hill disclosed three separate instances where staff located controlled substances in an inmate's possession.

On Jan. 10, 2021, three staff members reportedly "detected the order of burnt marijuana" coming from a bathroom in a unit "which had just been vacated by" Tyree Maxmyilyon Garrett Jr., who is now 21 and lives in Seattle, according to court documents. Staff members reportedly searched Garret's room "and located suspected marijuana inside a black rover glove tip, rolling papers, and two Bic lighters," according to court documents.

Garrett was charged Nov. 16, 2023, with one count of possession of a controlled substance while in a state correctional facility.

On or about Feb. 4, 2022, Green Hill staff members reportedly "observed residents who appeared to be under the influence" leaving a room occupied by John Warorus Mugo, 23, according to court documents. When staff searched Mugo's room, they reportedly found a THC vape pen hidden in "a cut in Mr. Mugo's mattress."

On April 28, 2022, staff reportedly saw Mugo "tampering with the dryer" in a laundry room at the facility. Staff reportedly found two THC vape pens when they searched the dryer.

Mugo was charged Nov. 16 with two counts of possession of a controlled substance while in a state correctional facility.

On March 4, 2022, Green Hill staff reportedly searched a room occupied by Adrian Anguiano, 24, of Pasco, and located "rolling papers and a bindle of brown THC extract powder." Anguiano was subsequently transferred to another unit, and during an intake search, staff found "a Black Diamond cannabis extract pouch inside a box of macaroni and cheese," according to court documents.

Anguiano was charged Nov. 16 with one count of possession of a controlled substance while in a state correctional facility.

Also on Nov. 16, the Lewis County Prosecutor's Office filed one count of possession of a controlled substance while in a state correctional facility against Gabriel Munguia, 20, who allegedly had THC in his possession inside Green Hill on Oct. 13 or Oct. 26, 2023.

The date of the alleged offense was listed inconsistently in court documents.

Green Hill staff reportedly "observed (Munguia) appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance" during a computer class on either Oct. 13 or Oct. 26, and told him he was going to be searched for contraband via a body scanner. While being walked to the scanner, Munguia allegedly stated, "Well, since you're already going to find it, it will look better if I just hand it over to you," according to court documents.

Munguia allegedly handed staff "10 sealed baggies from his sock that contained a paste substance," which officers determined to be THC.

Possession of a controlled substance while in a state correctional facility is a class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

While all four cases were scheduled to have preliminary hearings in Lewis County Superior Court on Dec. 19, two of the defendants, Garrett and Anguiano, have already been released from Green Hill, meaning the court will need to mail them summons notices.

The two defendants who are still in custody at Green Hill had their preliminary hearings on Dec. 19. Arraignment hearings for their cases are scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 21.

JNET's search of Green Hill came after a May 30 letter to the governor's office signed by the Centralia and Chehalis city mayors and chiefs of police, which asked the governor to refer the case to the Washington state Attorney General's Office to investigate Green Hill School "for their ongoing practices and procedures."

In response, Taylor K. Wonhoff, deputy general counsel from the governor's office, wrote on Aug. 3 that the office "respectfully declined further investigation," noting the state had "implemented changes to its security practices including the use of full body scanners and bag scanners," according to previous Chronicle reporting.

Washington state Senate Minority Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, has since renewed the call for a state investigation into Green Hill School.

In response, a spokesperson for Gov. Jay Inslee's office issued a statement on Nov. 6, saying, "We will continue to take allegations seriously, and have confidence that JNET is helping ensure all investigations are completed with the highest degree of integrity and thoroughness," according to previous Chronicle reporting.

Shortly following the overdose of an inmate in November 2022, four student inmates were arrested and over 1,000 suspected fentanyl pills were seized. The inmate was transported to Harborview Medical Center for lifesaving care.

On June 8, 2022, a recently released Green Hill inmate allegedly stole a vehicle from a Green Hill employee in Seattle, drove it to Centralia and shot at a house, according to previous reporting by The Chronicle.

In January 2022, four people, including two former Green Hill inmates and a Green Hill security guard from the same housing unit, were arrested for alleged involvement in three drive-by shootings in Cowlitz County.

As of Tuesday, there were six active cases in Lewis County Superior Court stemming from separate prison riots at Green Hill School in 2023.