MIDDLETON, Mass. — A Massachusetts correctional officer is facing criminal charges after allegedly bringing illegal drugs and a cellphone to an inmate incarcerated at the facility where she works.
Christal Dunston, 33, of Lynn, is expected to be arraigned Thursday in Salem District Court on charges including conspiracy to violate drug laws, one count of delivering drugs or articles to a prisoner, and one count of possession with intent to deliver to a prisoner, according to the Essex County Sheriff’s Department.
The sheriff’s department says it arrested Dunston at her home Thursday morning after a multi-week investigation.
According to investigators, Dunston was seen purchasing five sheets of paper believed to be soaked in the illegal synthetic cannabinoid known as K2, or “Spice,” while off duty. She later allegedly admitted to delivering the drugs and a cellphone to an inmate inside the Middleton Jail and House of Correction.
While a sheet of K2-laced paper has little value on the street, a single sheet can sell for as much as $8,000 inside a correctional facility, the sheriff’s office noted.
Sheriff Kevin Coppinger stressed that K2 poses a great danger to staff and inmates.
“These drugs put our officers and the people in our custody at risk, and we’re relentless when it comes to searching for and finding contraband,” Coppinger said in a statement. “Just one piece of drug-laced paper can cause an overdose, violence, or put lives at risk. That is a risk we cannot take.”
Dunston is currently on administrative leave.
An investigation is ongoing.
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