BURLINGTON, Ky. -- Boone County deputies arrested four inmates in connection to a drug-smuggling ring that led to the overdose death of a fellow inmate, authorities announced Thursday.
Inmates Johnny Shelton, 39, of Cincinnati; Adam Masuck, 30, of Florence; Gordon Wanser, 36, of Burlington and Chad Prodoehl, 34, of Independence were involved in smuggling drugs into the Boone County Detention Center Work Camp in Burlington, deputies said in a news release.
The smuggled drugs led to the carfentantil overdose death of work camp inmate Timothy Marcum on Oct. 16, according to deputies.
Shelton, Masuck, Wanser and Prodoehl were each charged with engaging in organized crime, promoting contraband and trafficking marijuana. Shelton, Wanser and Prodoehl were also each charged with trafficking in controlled substance.
Authorities also arrested 37-year-old Valerie Napier of Florence and 41-year-old Stacia Shelton, also known as Stacia Lindsey, of Cincinnati. They were charged with promoting contraband and trafficking in marijuana.
Two specialists from the Boone County Sheriff's Office spent a month investigating the case and identifying the links between those involved and their roles in the scheme, according to Major Tom Scheben. They found that the drugs came in from an off-site work detail.
The inmates would let the women know where they were going to be working, and the women would place drugs there so the inmates could hide it and bring it back to the jail, Scheben said.
Boone County Jailer Ed Prindle will re-evaluate the jail's security practices, according to Scheben.
"I think the only way to truly stop this is to strip search everybody every time they come in," Scheben said.
If convicted, the inmates could face sentences of 10-20 years on the organized crime charges.
