Pgh. woman sent to prison for contraband possession
A Pittsburgh woman was sentenced to state prison Wednesday after being charged with theft and possession of contraband.
Cynthia A. McCallister, 37, was sentenced to 15 to 30 months in a state correctional facility by Judge William Shaffer. She was also ordered to pay court costs and given time served credit.
McCallister pleaded guilty June 5 to felony possession of contraband by an inmate and conspiracy to commit theft.
She was initially charged with felony possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of contraband by an inmate, misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia after an incident at Butler County Prison on Sept. 5.
Butler police filed the charges after McCallister was found riding in a vehicle that was pulled over on Race Street. McCallister was found to be wanted on a bench warrant out of Allegheny County, and was arrested.
While being arrested, police said the top portion of a clear plastic bag was seen on the seat near her legs, and a small digital scale was seen in the right front door pocket, directly beside McCallister.
She was taken to Butler County Prison and asked if she was in possession of any drugs or other contraband, to which she replied no, according to court documents.
Because of officer suspicion that she had contraband, she was escorted to a private room and strip-searched, which revealed possible drugs secreted on her person, and she was then housed in a dry cell area of the prison.
A dry cell is a room that prisoners are placed in that lacks any plumbing facilities such as a toilet or shower, if they are suspected of having contraband.
The next day, police said about 1 gram of crack cocaine was found under the bed in McCallister's housing area.
She pleaded to the felony contraband charge in that case.
Later, Butler police also charged McCallister with misdemeanor theft and conspiracy in connection with the August theft of a PlayStation 4 console from a home on the 200 block of East Brady Street. The theft was reported on Sept. 8 by a victim who said McCallister had previously been at the home.
She pleaded to the theft charge in that case.
