For Immediate Release
May 25, 2017
DeFuniak Springs, Fla— A man pens a Letter to the Editor at the Northwest Florida Daily News complaining mail is not being delivered to his wife; a woman currently incarcerated at the Walton County Jail.
Walton County Sheriff’s Office sniffed out the answer, which came in a 5×7 greeting card with drugs inside.
On April 25th Deputy Autumn Newsome was doing mail inspection when her K9, “Ella”, alerted on two pieces of mail received for a female inmate. Both envelopes had fake addresses listed on them, but were postmarked out of Manchester, New Hampshire. Located inside each of the greeting cards was a small strip of paper, orange in color, wrapped in a clear plastic. These types of paper strips are often used to smuggle narcotics into correctional facilities.
On May 1st additional mail was received at the facility addressed to the same inmate. Upon the mail being inspected six more strips, identical to the first strips mailed to inmate, were located inside.
The inmate was advised she could not have the greeting cards due to the type of material they were made of, but was not alerted to the fact that the contraband had been located. This was done in an effort to build a case against the sender. The greeting cards were taken into evidence and the strips were sent to be analyzed to determine the type of narcotic was being used.
“So, it goes without saying,” said Sheriff Michael Adkinson. “That could be why she’s not getting her mail.”
