Gary woman arrested for trafficking at prison
PUTNAMVILLE -- A Gary woman who was arrested Nov. 13 is in the Putnam County Jail, awaiting her initial trial on a felony charge of trafficking with an inmate at the Putnamville Correctional Facility.
Catherine McCoy, 38, was at the prison to visit Desmond Williams, who is serving time for a Class B felony dealing in cocaine charge, a report from Putnamville Correctional Facility Public Information Officer Crystal Brown said.
"Officer Deborah Rubeck was conducting a routine pat search on a visitor, Catherine McCoy, when she felt an unusual object on the visitor," Brown's report said. "When Officer Rubeck questioned Ms. McCoy about the object, she removed from her person two objects wrapped in black electrical tape. The two objects turned out to be a cell phone and an MP3 player."
Putnamville Correctional Officer David Wire placed McCoy under arrest, and she was transported for booking to the Putnam County Jail.
Superintendent Bruce Lemmon commended the Putnamville Correctional Facility staff for their due diligence, which he said he felt resulted in the identification and confiscation of the contraband.
Indiana Department of Correction Commissioner Edwin G. Buss also offered his appreciation to staff for thwarting McCoy's attempt to violate and jeopardize the security of the Putnamville facility.
Trafficking with an inmate is a Class C felony, punishable by a maximum of eight years in prison.