Drug trafficking hole discovered in Madison Co. Jail

ANDERSON, Ind. (WISH) — Detectives in Madison County are working to find whoever knocked a hole in the wall of a jail cell. Sheriff Scott Mellinger believes the inmate who made the hole was using it to sneak drugs into the jail.

An investigation started Monday morning after a jail officer coming into work spotted a rope made of jail blankets hanging from the hole.

The sheriff sent a K-9 through the cell and the dog found a package of “spice,” or synthetic marijuana.

“The inmates have all day and all night to figure out ways to get around the system,” Mellinger said.

Detectives believe at least one inmate used a small piece of metal to create the hole late last week.

The sheriff says an inmate then used tooth paste to put the pieces back in place and conceal the damage.

Officers have stopped about six similar attempts so far this year, the sheriff says.

“It’s an ongoing process, but it will probably never change as long as jails are overcrowded and agencies are understaffed,” he said.

Sheriff Mellinger said the most recent attempt happened on the second floor, where one officer at a time typically oversees about 90 inmates. On the same floor, over the summer, officials said they caught an inmate trying to scrape his way out using a piece of metal ripped off the wall.

Whoever made the hole discovered Monday could face a felony trafficking charge.