A 41-year-old North Huntingdon man was charged by detectives Wednesday after they claim he attempted to smuggle heroin into the county prison by hiding 18 stamp bags in his buttocks.
Jeremiah B. Reynolds of Larimer was charged by county Detective James Williams this week with illegal possession of a controlled substance by an inmate and possession of heroin by an inmate for the Jan. 17 incident.
Williams said that after Reynolds’ arrest on an unrelated drug-related complaint, he was being processed into the Hempfield lockup and underwent a strip search. When officers noticed a “black piece of plastic sticking out from (his) buttocks area,” they inquired what it contained.
Williams said in court documents that Reynolds turned over the plastic bag containing the contraband to prison officers and admitted it was heroin. Officers found 18 stamp bags of the drug in the package.
The complaint was filed after a forensic report from the state police crime lab verified that the 18 stamp bags marked “True Religion” contained heroin.
When prisoners are booked into the prison, officers routinely search all of their belongings and they are also strip searched. Inmates also have to go through a body scan.
According to court dockets, Reynolds is awaiting trial in common pleas court on charges of driving under the influence, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia in connection with an Oct. 12 arrest by North Huntingdon police; and charges of driving under the influence, possession of controlled substance, tampering with evidence, driving on an altered license and driving an unregistered vehicle filed by Jeannette police.
According to online dockets, a drug paraphernalia charge was filed against Reynolds in Indiana County after he was cited in Burrell Township by state police Dec. 2.
Reynolds was released on $10,000 unsecured bond on the most recent complaint pending a preliminary hearing June 21.
