A LaPorte County Jail inmate was recently caught smuggling marijuana and tobacco into the jail.
The inmate, who was not named in a sheriff’s office press release, was considered a “trusty,” meaning he was among inmates allowed to do group work outside the jail under supervision.
Sergeant Moarine Fick, Corporal Vicki Stantz and Officer Mike Woday noticed that the inmate acted suspicious while waiting in the booking area to take trash out of the county complex. When taken to the dumpster, which is located in the parking lot at the corner of Washington Street and Michigan Avenue, the inmate tried to walk ahead of escorting officer Corporal Stantz and tried to hide behind the dumpster, the press release stated.
After going back into the building and entering the shower room, the inmate left a bag of items in the trash that was later discovered. The bag contained two plastic bags containing about three-quarters of an ounce of marijuana, two unopened pouches of loose-leaf tobacco, two unopened packs of cigarette rolling papers and one cigarette lighter.
The inmate is not cooperating with the investigation, the release stated. Officers believe the bag was placed in the dumpster by another individual.
“The inmate has been removed from trusty status and placed in general population. He will be prosecuted by the Disciplinary Hearing Board,” the release stated.
The entire incident was recorded on the recently installed digital video recording system, Sheriff Mike Mollenhauer said in the release. The recordings are being used in the investigation.
