Three individuals face charges following the tragic death of a federal correctional officer who unknowingly opened mail laced with drugs intended for an inmate.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California announced on Tuesday, Aug. 20 that charges have been filed against three individuals. They are:
- Jamar Jones, 35, an inmate at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atwater, California.
- Stephanie Ferreira, 35, of Evansville, Indiana, and
- Jermen Rudd III, 37, of Wentzville, Missouri
Three individuals have been charged with allegedly plotting to send narcotics into a heavily guarded correctional facility
, to sell them. As part of their scheme, Jones and Ferreira allegedly had Rudd send a letter containing drugs to Jones, falsely labeled as “legal mail,” according to the release.
On August 9th, a correctional officer referred to as M.F. in a criminal complaint reviewed by PEOPLE, opened the letter and shortly after started experiencing illness. “I don’t feel good, it’s going up my arm, I need medical,” another officer remembered M.F. saying.
According to authorities, M.F. was taken to the hospital after being evaluated by medical staff and unfortunately passed away.
The criminal complaint states that the letter, sent three days prior, was found to contain amphetamines, fentanyl, and synthetic cannabinoids, among other substances, based on a preliminary test.
The autopsy of the correctional officer’s body has been conducted at the Merced County Coroner’s Office. However, the cause of death is still unknown and awaiting the results of toxicology tests, according to the complaint. The complaint states that there was no apparent physical cause of death other than narcotics.
The complaint alleges that Jones has been charged with conspiracy to distribute and distribute a controlled substance, along with a prior felony drug conviction. Additionally, Jones is facing a charge of attempting to obtain narcotic drugs while being an inmate.
Ferreria and Rudd face charges related to drug distribution and providing drugs to an inmate, according to the complaint. Both individuals will face charges in their home states, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Jones has a court appearance scheduled for next week.
It remains uncertain whether the trio have entered pleas or hired attorneys to represent them. If found guilty, the prosecution has stated that all three individuals could potentially face lengthy prison sentences and a substantial fine of $250,000.
