No frisking, no matter how thorough, would have unearthed this contraband.
A paraplegic woman and an inmate are now facing charges after allegedly conspiring to get marijuana into the Marion-Walthall Correctional Facility via their most sensitive areas. Officers seized the pot Sunday after the bizarre encounter.
Maj. Zach Guidroz said officers discovered a package of marijuana inserted in state offender Joseph Nobles’ rectum after a visit.
“Offender Nobles was being visited by Latoya McGill from Gulfport,” he said. “McGill is wheelchair-bound and paralyzed from the chest down and admitted to smuggling the marijuana into her vagina, then retrieving the item and giving it to offender Nobles, where he then inserted the item into himself.”
McGill’s boyfriend and driver, Andrew Payton, was waiting in the parking lot for her, according to Guidroz.
“He saw Latoya being detained and he left the facility, but shortly returned,” he said. “He was detained for questioning and it was later determined through the investigation that Payton left the scene to try and get rid of a pistol and a bag of marijuana. Both the handgun and the marijuana were collected from a nearby dumpster by the jail staff.”
Nobles, who is serving 12 years on a burglary conviction from Hancock County, now faces two additional charges:
• Conspiracy to introduce contraband into a correctional facility
• Possession of narcotics in a correctional facility.
Payton was arrested and charged with:
• Conspiracy to introduce contraband into a correctional facility
• Felony possession of a controlled substance
• Misdemeanor possession of marijuana
• Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
• Tampering with evidence and probation violation.
Payton remained in the Marion County Jail on $15,500 bond as of deadline Tuesday.
McGill was released pending a grand jury’s decision to charge, according to Guidroz. Charges being presented will include:
• Introduction of contraband into a correctional facility
• Felony possession of a controlled substance
• Misdemeanor possession of marijuana
• Possession of a weapon by a convicted felon
• Possession of a controlled substance while in possession of a firearm.
“Marion County will not tolerate the breaching of security of their correctional facility,” Guidroz said. “All parties involved in doing so will be prosecuted to the fullest extent.”
Pictured Above: A gun and marijauna were part of the contraband seized during Sunday’s incident at the Marion-Walthall facility. | Submitted Photo
