2 charged in smuggling scheme
Prison inmates have time on their hands. And for one, at least part of that time was served thinking up ingenious ways — or not so ingenious ways — to score a drug fix behind bars.
Butler County detectives Monday charged an Eau Claire couple with trying to smuggle Suboxone into the county prison — in mail disguised as legal correspondence.
Matthew N. Ford, 30, and his girlfriend, Jamie L. Uber, 32, both face felony drug charges in the alleged scheme that authorities unraveled, in part, by listening to telephone calls the suspects made in and out of the prison.
According to court documents, prison officials on Dec. 7 received information that Ford was receiving Suboxone hidden in mail.
The narcotic-based drug is prescribed to treat addiction to heroin and powerful painkillers such as oxycodone. It comes in thin strips, which dissolve under the tongue.
Ford was an inmate since Feb. 4, when he was booked in for a parole violation stemming from a prior burglary conviction. Five months ago, he was caught possessing Suboxone.
While investigating the latest case, authorities monitored calls between Ford and Uber. In one call, they discuss Uber's Suboxone prescription, documents said.
Eventually, officials zeroed in on an envelope addressed to Ford purportedly sent to him Dec. 28 by a Pittsburgh attorney.
But when the attorney was contacted, he advised them that Ford was not a client, nor had he sent any mail there.
On Jan. 4, investigators opened the envelope that contained several pages describing the county's drug court. A closer inspection turned up 15 Suboxone strips in between pages that had been glued together.County Detective Tim Fennell said Uber sent the envelope.She and Ford are both charged with smuggling and conspiring to smuggle a controlled substance into the prison.Uber was arraigned on the charges Monday and released that same day. Ford is awaiting arraignment.Fennell on Tuesday noted that the investigation continues and additional charges against both defendants are pending.
