Md. attorney general discusses 'dark underbelly' related to prison contraband smuggling

In describing efforts by several inmates and others to smuggle contraband into the Roxbury Correctional Institution south of Hagerstown, Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown referred Thursday to a "web of corruption and criminality" and a "dark underbelly that extends far beyond" the local prison.

Brown said the dangers of having contraband cellphones in prison include calls to intimidate witnesses and order crimes committed inside and outside of prison.

The smuggling of drugs such as fentanyl into prison leads to fatal overdoses, fighting among inmates and the formation of dangerous factions inside prison, he said.

Brown, standing in front of RCI on Thursday during a news conference, highlighted three separate conspiracies to smuggle contraband into RCI last year that led to 15 indictments. One of the conspiracies used drones to fly packages over the fence, another involved a correctional officer smuggling drugs and contraband into the prison, and the third involved an inmate picking up contraband drops at a Baltimore hospital during his medical appointments.

Brown and Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs thanked the dedicated correctional officers who have difficult jobs, with Scruggs emphasizing the indicted former correctional officer was not from RCI.

That former officer's actions "cast a negative light on those doing a great job working" at RCI, Scruggs said.

Roxbury is a medium-security prison with approximately 1,575 inmates.

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It is one of three state prisons at the complex along Roxbury Road and is the furthest east, positioned farther back from the road and near woods.

When asked what was being done to prevent similar efforts to smuggle contraband into state prisons, Scruggs said an enhanced drone detection effort began about 18 months ago, statewide, so the department has greater diligence in detecting such incidents.

Asked about the effects of the smuggled drugs into RCI, Scruggs said there had not been a rash of overdoses.

She said people can be creative in finding ways to get things into the prison.

Brown, Scruggs and Jarod Forget, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Agency's Washington Division, thanked the work of the public safety department's Intelligence and Investigative Division, the Washington County Narcotics Task Force, the attorney general's office's organized crime unit and the DEA's Hagerstown resident office as well as the attorneys general on the case and the support of the Washington County State's Attorney.

The three distinct contraband smuggling operations

Public safety's intelligence and investigative division began investigating in April 2022 after recovering drugs and other contraband smuggled into RCI by an inmate returning from a hospital visit, according to a news release from the attorney general's office.

Working with the attorney general's office, they "uncovered a complex web of conspiracies" to smuggle drugs and other contraband into RCI using an employee, drones and people recruited via social media.

Sources for evidence in the cases include "wiretapped communications, jail calls, and voluminous financial records," according to a Washington County Circuit Court filing regarding the 15 indictments.

Ten-year veteran correctional officer Temille Anike Ashby, 33, of Windsor, Md., who is normally assigned to the Jessup Correctional Institution in Anne Arundel County, was among those indicted. Ashby was a dietary officer who occasionally worked overtime shifts in the Roxbury prison kitchen along with co-defendant Jamal Brown, 33, an inmate with a work assignment in that kitchen, according to the attorney general and court records.

Among the charges Ashby faces are felony possession with intent to distribute buprenorphine and numerous misdemeanors.

The attorney general said officers confiscated 158 strips of Suboxone from Ashby that she'd hidden in a body cavity last November. He said Suboxone sells for $100 a strip inside prison.

Ashby tried to flush the contraband down a toilet, according to court records.

Ashby received more than $16,000 in payments via Cash App from Jamal Brown and family members, the attorney general said.

Maryland inmate picked up contraband during medical visits at Baltimore hospital

In a different conspiracy, inmate Akeem Banks, during visits for his medical appointments, would pick up contraband packages that outside people hid in bathrooms at the University of Maryland Medical Center, according to Attorney General Brown and court records. Banks would hide the contraband in his clothes, including in a custom-sewn pocket in his underwear, to bring back to RCI, court records state.

Banks, 28, was indicted on 40 counts, including possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute. That charge alone comes with a possible maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Also indicted through that conspiracy were RCI inmates Jason Butler, 44, and Deven Matos, 29, as well as outside facilitators Tracy Williams, 49, of Brooklyn, Md.; and Keith Shuford, 27, of Waldorf, Md., the news release states.

Using drones to drop contraband over Maryland prison fence

The third conspiracy involved RCI inmate Jose Tapia, 36, who allegedly solicited people via Instagram, offering to compensate anyone willing to fly drones over the RCI fence to deliver drugs and other contraband, Brown said.

Also indicted in that conspiracy were Guy Austin Jr., 26, and Miya Ann Scott, 25, both of Baltimore.

Officers interrupted an attempted drone delivery on Sept. 7 and arrested Austin and Scott, the release states. Officers also recovered a drone and contraband that crashed into a tree the prior day during an attempted delivery to RCI, court records state.

The drone's package included 176 Suboxone strips as well as marijuana, THC, tobacco, a ratchet, security bits, phones, earbuds, electronic storage devices and other contraband, according to indictments.

Brown said contraband tools can be used as weapons.

After noting the drone operation, Brown said, "They talk about dumbness and stupidity. That's the ultimate dumbness and stupidity in trying to bring a contraband into these institutions."

After those investigations, Brown said cell searches were done that led to recovering more contraband and indicting five more inmates.

Asked if those indicted could face additional charges or if more people will be charged, Brown said the investigation is ongoing.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Md. officials discuss conspiracies to smuggle contraband into prison