After a number of overdoses and in-custody deaths, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office has been working diligently to try and stamp out drugs inside of its inmate facilities in French Camp.
And an unexpected delivery on Easter Sunday gave officers at the honor farm an inside look at how contraband makes its way into the facility.
According to the sheriff’s office, officers working at the honor farm facility on Tuesday saw a vehicle drive up to the perimeter fence and somebody get out, approach the fence, and throw a bag over before getting back into the vehicle and exiting the area.
Because of the tall grass in the vicinity, officers were unable to find anything when they checked for what was deposited in the secure area and called in a K9 unit to assist – leading to the discovery of 28.4 grams of a green leafy substance, presumed to be marijuana, as well as 4.4 grams of tobacco, a blue disposable Bic lighter, and two AA batteries.
The care package was reportedly intended for honor farm inmate Eric Ypon who was being held without bail on a number of serious charges including being a felon in possession of a gun, carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle, and participating in a criminal street gang.
Ypon has since been moved to the main jail facility where he is awaiting arraignment on additional charges of possession of a controlled substance in jail – an additional felony.
Last month San Joaquin County Sheriff Pat Withrow spoke in his monthly video address about the steps that correctional officers are taking to eradicate contraband inside of the facility after a number of overdoses that were tied to illegal narcotics that had made their way into the facility. While several inmates were saved with life-saving doses of naloxone – known by the trade name Narcan – several were unable to be revived and died as a result of acute drug intoxication.
Much like other parts of California and the rest of the country, San Joaquin County has had a number of high-profile arrests of people accused of trafficking in fentanyl – a dangerous synthetic opioid that is significantly stronger than morphine that is often inserted into counterfeit pills that are blamed for overdoses. Even trace amount of fentanyl can be deadly – prompting deputies throughout the department to start carrying Narcan in case they encounter somebody going into respiratory distress.
To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.
