Oneida County Jail Employee Accused of Contraband Smuggling

An Oneida County Jail employee has been arrested for allegedly transporting contraband into the correctional facility.

Oneida County Sheriff Rob Maciol says Road Patrol Deputies responded to the Oneida County Jail at around 5AM Sunday morning after getting a tip that a food service worker had allegedly brought contraband into the facility. A tip given to law enforcement led to an investigation into the employee and his actions, according to Sheriff Maciol.

Photo Courtesy of Oneida County Sheriff's Office

Maciol says ultimately a preliminary investigation revealed 41-year-old Shawn Stevens of Lowville, New York was found to be in possession of a bundle of items which were turned over to the Forensic Investigation Unit. Officials say the Forensic unit was able to confirm that the items included in the bundle Stevens possessed contained several packets of heroin, a hypodermic needle and a spoon. The Forensic unit also identified multiple Suboxone strips and tablets, marijuana and match boxes, according to Oneida County Sheriff Rob Maciol.

As a result of the investigation conducted by The Criminal Investigation Unit and Narcotics Unit, Stevens is facing several charges including Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance with intent to sell and Promoting Prison Contraband, both felonies. Sheriff Maciol says Stevens was arrested and processed at the Oneida County Law Enforcement Building and is being held at Oneida County Jail while he awaits arraignment. The investigation is ongoing.

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Gallery Credit: Isabel Sepulveda