Brown County, Clermont County residents indicted for alleged involvement in supplying drugs to inmates on work detail
Several individuals were indicted by a Clermont County grand jury Jan. 2 for their alleged involvement in bringing narcotics to the Clermont County Animal Shelter for Clermont County Jail inmates on a cleaning detail.
Indictments were returned for the following suspects and charges:
• Mark Wise, 52, of Franklin Township, Clermont County, was charged with two counts of conspiracy, both felonies of the fifth degree; one count of illegal conveyance of drugs of abuse onto grounds of a governmental facility, a felony of the third degree; one count of aggravated trafficking in drugs, a felony of the fourth degree; and one count of aggravated possession of drugs, a felony of the fifth degree.
• Samantha Cartwright, 45, of Franklin Township, Clermont County, was charged with two counts of conspiracy, both felonies of the fifth degree; and one count of illegal conveyance of drugs of abuse onto grounds of a governmental facility, a felony of the third degree.
• Vanessa Tudor, 47, of the Village of Higginsport, Brown County, was charged with two counts of conspiracy, both felonies of the fifth degree; one count of illegal conveyance of drugs of abuse onto grounds of a governmental facility, a felony of the third degree; and one count of aggravated possession of drugs, a felony of the fifth degree.
• Patricia Weaver, 68, of the Village of Higginsport, Brown County, was charged with two counts of conspiracy, both felonies of the fifth degree; and one count of illegal conveyance of drugs of abuse onto grounds of a governmental facility, a felony of the third degree.
On Dec. 23 at 3:30 p.m., the Clermont County Investigative Unit was contacted by corrections staff at the Clermont County Jail about inmates possibly being impaired. Detectives responded and spoke to Clermont County Jail corrections staff, who oversaw the inmates assigned to a work detail offsite at the Clermont County Animal Shelter.
Detectives immediately launched an investigation and interviewed numerous inmates assigned to the cleaning detail, as well as other inmates in their cell blocks. It was alleged that inmates Tudor and Cartwright were speaking to family members, orchestrating a plot to have narcotics delivered to the animal shelter for them to retrieve while on their work detail.
After interviewing several inmates, searching the cell blocks and reviewing inmate communications, detectives were able to identify several others involved who were not incarcerated at the Clermont County Jail.
Tudor’s mother (Weaver) and Cartwright’s husband (Wise) were identified and interviewed. Both allegedly confessed to detectives in reference to their involvement. Wise allegedly confirmed he obtained a ride by Weaver to deliver the narcotics to the animal shelter to ultimately be picked up by Tudor and Cartwright.
An indictment is merely a charge and is not evidence of guilt.
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