BALTIMORE — Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown announced 15 people have been indicted in three different prison contraband conspiracies in connection to inmates at Roxbury Correctional Institution (RCI) in Hagerstown, Maryland.
In April 2022, the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) began an investigation after the recovery of drugs and other contraband smuggled into RCI after an inmate returned from a hospital visit.
The investigative team uncovered a complex web of conspiracies operating to smuggle drugs and other contraband into the facility by way of an employee, drones and outside civilians who were recruited over social media.
In one conspiracy, inmate Jose Tapia recruited outside help via Instagram and paid them to fly drugs over the RCI fence.
The drone would drop off drugs and other contraband.
On September 7, law enforcement interrupted an attempted delivery and arrested two outside facilitators. Some of the things delivered were drugs, tools, cell phones, phone chargers, SIM cords, headphones and thumb drives.
In the second conspiracy, a dietary correctional officer Temille Ashby, a 10-year veteran, smuggled drugs to another inmate, who would then redistribute them through out the facility.
Ashby would smuggle the drugs within her body cavity. When police caught recovered these drugs they found Ashby received around $16,132 in payments on Cash App from the inmate and his family members.
Her normal work location was at Jessup Correctional Institution in Anne Arundel County, but would occasionally work overtime at RCI.
In the third and final conspiracy, inmate Akeem Banks was transported from RCI to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) for medical treatment.
Friends and family of other RCI inmates would hide bundles of drugs within bathrooms at UMMC, which Banks would collect during his visits.
Once inside RCI, Banks would give these items to other inmates to redistribute around the facility.
Law enforcement intercepted these packages and recovered drugs, cell phones, power adapters, flash drives and cigarettes.
A full list of those charged and their role in the various conspiracies can be found below:
- Jose Tapia, 36, an RCI Inmate, is charged in a 10-count indictment, including charges of contraband conspiracy and illegal possession of a telecommunications device in a place of confinement.
- Guy Austin, Jr., 30, of Baltimore, Maryland, an outside facilitator for Tapia, is charged in a 60-count indictment, including charges of contraband conspiracy, possession of controlled dangerous substances with the intent to distribute, and attempt to deliver contraband to a place of confinement.
- Miya Scott, 25, of Baltimore, Maryland, an outside facilitator for Tapia, is charged in a 19-count indictment, including charges of contraband conspiracy.
- Temille Ashby, 33, a dietary correctional officer, is charged in a 14-count indictment, including charges of contraband conspiracy, possession of controlled dangerous substances with the intent to distribute, and attempt to deliver contraband to a place of confinement.
- Jamal Brown, 33, an RCI inmate, is charged in an 8-count indictment, including charges of contraband conspiracy and illegal possession of a telecommunications device in a place of confinement.
- Akeem Banks, 29, an RCI inmate, is charged in a 40-count indictment, including charges of contraband conspiracy, possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, and possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
- Jason Butler, 44, an RCI inmate, is charged in a 6-count indictment, including charges of contraband conspiracy and attempt to possess contraband in a place of confinement.
- Tracy Williams, 49, of Brooklyn, Maryland, an outside facilitator for Butler, is charged in a 4-count indictment, including charges of contraband conspiracy.
- Deven Matos, 29, an RCI inmate, is charged in a 6-count indictment, including charges of contraband conspiracy and illegal possession of a telecommunications device in a place of confinement.
- Keith Shuford, 26, of Waldorf, Maryland, an outside facilitator for Matos, is charged in a 4-count indictment, including charges of contraband conspiracy.
