Community Center

Man Caught Attempting Massive Contraband Delivery to Prison With Children and Sister in Vehicle

ST. CROIX — A repeat offender who was caught allegedly trying to smuggle contraband inside the John A. Bell Correctional Facility is back on the wrong side of the prison fence.  On Saturday afternoon, a correctional officer (CO) making his rounds spotted someone running towards the fence line by the prison’s visiting area. The CO saw the person try to push a black garbage bag underneath the prison’s inner perimeter fence. When the CO shouted at the man to stop, he ran to a nearby vehicle – a maroon Honda Crosstour – which was parked on prison grounds, and drove off towards the main entrance gate. In the same moment, an inmate who had been assigned to kitchen duty was seen leaving the vicinity of the fence. He was fired from the kitchen and reportedly restricted to his housing unit. Meanwhile, the CO radioed the prison’s Central Control to instruct the guard booth not to let the rapidly approaching  maroon vehicle leave the front gate. A police officer assigned to the Gang Intelligenc...