UPDATED: 21 inmates busted for sneaking drugs into Whitley County Jail

Whitley District Judge Fred White entered not guilty pleas Thursday morning for 20 Whitley County Detention Center inmates, who are facing first-degree promoting contraband charges in connection with a recent investigation.

The inmates were charged Monday following a joint investigation by Williamsburg police and the Whitley County Detention Center.

Williamsburg Police Chief Wayne Bird said he and Detective Bobby Freeman began an investigation after Freeman received information that state inmates were bringing Suboxone strips into the jail.

"A lot of times when you have state inmates on work release, it is easier for them to get stuff back into the jail," Bird said. "Once it gets into the jail, it kind of spreads like wildfire."

Bird brought the information back to Jailer Ken Mobley on June 15. As a result, Mobley ordered inmates in five different cells to be drug tested. Those tests show 21 inmates were under the influence.

"My staff and I will not tolerate drugs in the Whitley County Detention Center," Mobley said.

Bird said Suboxone is used to help curb the craving of drug addicts. However, the treatment may be as bad as the cure, as police are seeing more people abusing Suboxone.

During their arraignments Thursday morning, White scheduled June 24 preliminary hearings for 20 inmates, set $5,000 cash bonds in each of their cases, and appointed the public advocate’s office to represent most of the defendants.

Mobley said that another inmate was drug tested but was released from custody before authorities got the results of his positive drug test. He said that inmate will probably also be charged.

A female inmate initially tested positive during the testing but Mobley said that she insisted she had never taken drugs and a second drug came back as negative so she wasn’t charged.

Arrest citations indicate that most of the inmates, who were charged, tested positive for narcotics in general, which could include Suboxone. Another five inmates specifically tested positive for Suboxone. Another inmate also tested positive for marijuana and one inmate tested positive for an antidepressant, Mobley said about test results.

One inmate admitted that he had taken drugs while incarcerated instead of being drug tested, according to his arrest citation.

According to their arrest citations and jail records, the following individuals were charged with first-degree promoting contraband in connection with the investigation.

• Roy Earl Blevins, 35, of Corbin – a Whitley County inmate, who tested positive for narcotics.

• Delbert Lee Bolton, 50, of Williamsburg – a Whitley County inmate, who tested positive for narcotics.

• Isiah Chad Canada, 26, of Woodbine – a state inmate, who tested positive for narcotics.

• Jonathan E. Coffey, 33, of Stearns – a state inmate, who tested positive for narcotics.

• Brian W. Hatfield, 36, of Williamsburg – a state inmate, who admitted that he would test positive for drugs and that he had taken drugs while incarcerated at the Whitley County Detention Center.

• Cody Wayne Hill, 21, of Williamsburg, a state inmate, who tested positive for narcotics.

• Henry James Lawson, 58, of Williamsburg – a Whitley County inmate, who tested positive for narcotics.

• Roy William Lawson Jr., 36,of Williamsburg – a Whitley County inmate, who tested positive for narcotics, an antidepressant and Suboxone.

• Nathaniel Ray Douglas Melton, 28, of Hyden – a Whitley County inmate, who tested positive for marijuana and Suboxone.

• Jason Kennedy Mullins, 27, of Knoxville – a Whitley County inmate, who tested positive for narcotics.

• Brandon Martin Myers, 29, of Eubank – a state inmate, who tested positive for narcotics.

• Apren Hirron Poore, 27, of Rockholds – a state inmate, who tested positive for narcotics.

• Tommy Gene Powers, 34, of Williamsburg – a Whitley County inmate, who tested positive for narcotics.

• Billy Ray Richardson, 35, of Williamsburg – a Whitley County inmate, who tested positive for narcotics.

• Eric Martin Shelton, 24, of Williamsburg – a Whitley County inmate, who tested positive for narcotics.

• Larry Brandon Shelton, 30, of Corbin – a state inmate, who tested positive for Suboxone.

• Jason Wade Taylor, 31, of Williamsburg – a Whitley County inmate, who tested positive for Suboxone.

• Gene Dewayne Turner, 26, of Gray – a Whitley County inmate, who tested positive for Suboxone.

• Jerry Lee Veach, 41, of Williamsburg – a Whitley County inmate, who tested positive for narcotics.

• Shannon R. Wynn, 34, of Corbin – a state inmate, who tested positive for narcotics.