Alabama man charged with providing drug to inmates
A 56-year-old Shelby County resident was taken into custody on March 25 on suspicion of supplying prisoners with the prescription pharmaceutical Suboxone. He is being charged with second-degree conspiracy to promote prison contraband and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. His preliminary hearing was scheduled for April 9.
According to court documents, he worked with another person to deliver strips of the drug to inmates in Shelby County jail. Supposedly, the accused man hid the drug inside copies of the Bible, and the other individual then delivered the Bibles to the inmates. Deputies said that these activities were conducted during November and December 2013.
The accused man was released from custody on the same day that he was detained after posting a $20,000 bond. The sheriff’s office declined to make any remarks about the case due to the fact that the investigation into the alleged drug crimes had not yet been concluded. It was stated that it is possible that other people were involved.
The substance in question in the case is a narcotic that is generally used to treat narcotic dependence. Unlike other treatment methods, such as methadone, Suboxone may be dispensed outside of specialized addiction treatment clinics. However, only physicians who have the required Drug Enforcement Agency identification numbers may prescribe the substance.
Whenever someone is accused of serious crimes involving controlled substances, he or she may wish to consider consulting with a criminal defense attorney. Especially in cases like this one, involving more than one party and dealing with activities that allegedly took place over a long period of time, the attorney may be able to help make sure that the actions of other individuals do not negatively affect the defendant’s own chances in court.
Source: FDA, “Subutex and Suboxone Questions and Answers,” Aug. 22, 2013
Source: Alabama Media Group, “Higher calling? Shelby County man charged with agreeing to put drugs into Bibles for inmates“, Martin Reed, March 27, 2014