What to Know
- Long Island investigators detailed an intricate and stunning scheme that was hatched in order to get a deadly drug inside the walls of a Suffolk County jail — but was foiled by corrections officers
- Prosecutors said that prisoners at the lockup in Riverhead disguised fentanyl as a common, everyday item that could make it by any tests easily: pieces of paper that were laced with the deadly opioid
- The DA's office shared what looked like ordinary sheets of paper, but really were laced with fentanyl; The goal was to smuggle the sheets into the jail where each could be sold for as much as $6,000
Long Island investigators detailed an intricate and stunning scheme that was hatched in order to get a deadly drug inside the walls of a Suffolk County jail — but was foiled by corrections officers.
Prosecutors said that prisoners at the lockup in Riverhead disguised fentanyl as a common, everyday item that could make it by any tests easily: pieces of paper that were laced with the deadly opioid.
"This case is not the first of its kind and the ramifications are frightening," said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney.
The papers were disguised to look just like legal documents, all to be delivered by a lawyer who knew nothing of the plan, prosecutors said. But that paper was being used for both profit and pleasure.
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
The DA's office shared four pieces that looked like any other sheets of paper, but really were laced with fentanyl. The goal was to smuggle the sheets into the jail where each could be sold for as much as $6,000.
"Make no mistake: Fentanyl's value is 15-20 times higher in prison than on the street," according to Suffolk County Sheriff Dr. Errol D. Toulon, Jr..
"These papers are torn up, sold to inmates who put them in their mouth. And once saliva hits the paper, it activates the fentanyl into their system," Tierney said.
A prisoner at the Suffolk County jail was charged with orchestrating the plan. Four others, including two already behind bars, were also charged.
The Suffolk County sheriff said corrections officers monitoring phone calls to the jail learned of the plan. The pages were seized as they were being delivered to a prisoner at the Suffolk courthouse.
"It’s probably one of the more audacious attempts, but thanks to the court system and sheriff's office, we were able to stop it," Tierney said.
The drug paper is typically sold in four different sizes, from as big as a stamp to the whole sheet, the sheriff's office said. At least two prisoners have already overdosed on fentanyl at the jail.
The fear moving forward, investigators said, is that paper could be used to smuggle fentanyl into places like schools. They called on lawmakers to increase penalties for fentanyl dealers in order to to prevent any potential repeats.
