A correctional sergeant from Montana State Jail has been charged with promoting marijuana and hallucinogenic mushrooms to fellow jail workers.
Scott Patrick Elliott, a sergeant on the state jail close to Deer Lodge, is charged with two felonies of legal distribution of harmful medicine. The Montana Division of Corrections on Tuesday emphasised in an announcement that Elliott shouldn’t be accused of distribution to inmates on the state jail.
A Division of Corrections spokesperson mentioned a routine, random search of employees members coming into the state jail final fall prompted the investigation and ensuing expenses in opposition to Elliott.
In keeping with charging paperwork, authorities discovered Elliott was promoting marijuana to jail workers from his residence in Anaconda.
As of this story’s publishing, Elliott has not but made an preliminary look on the fees.
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Reached by cellphone Tuesday, Elliott denied any legal actions, however mentioned he bought marijuana or marijuana merchandise from dispensaries in Missoula after which resold these gadgets to different jail workers again in Anaconda-Deer Lodge County.
“I by no means thought it was one thing unsuitable to do, to resell weed,” Elliott mentioned.
Montana State Jail is dealing with staffing shortages that have an effect on all corners of the power, from training to safety.
Whereas private use and possession of marijuana has been authorized in Montana since voters accredited leisure use in 2020, prohibitions nonetheless exist to forestall anybody not licensed by the state to work within the authorized hashish business from promoting to different folks, in any other case referred to as the black market.
Charging paperwork filed Tuesday in Anaconda-Deer Lodge County District Courtroom title 10 different jail employees Elliott exchanged texts with about drug gross sales or use, however these workers are usually not legal defendants. The Montana Division of Corrections confirmed to the Montana State Information Bureau that 5 of these named jail officers are on go away, however couldn’t attribute their go away to the legal case, citing personnel coverage. The Montana State Information Bureau shouldn’t be naming these jail workers on this story as a result of they haven’t been charged with against the law.
Authorities first interviewed Elliott in October as a part of an investigation into whether or not he was smuggling contraband into the jail. Elliott advised Division of Corrections investigators he had nicotine pouches on his particular person as he tried to enter the jail Oct. 4, 2023, however denied any intention to offer them to inmates, in keeping with charging paperwork.
Elliott mentioned Tuesday a broader investigation into meth distribution on the state jail is presently underway, and he allowed investigators to evaluate his textual content messages to clear himself of any connection to that investigation. In keeping with charging paperwork, the texts investigators discovered allegedly confirmed Elliott was utilizing, promoting or in search of out marijuana and psilocybin, the hallucinogenic element in “magic mushrooms.”
In a follow-up interview Jan. 12, Elliott allegedly admitted to offering marijuana to state jail workers, however denied every other criminal activity, notably being corrupted by any inmates.
The Montana State Jail exterior Deer Lodge.
The Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Lawyer’s Workplace and the Montana Division of Justice are prosecuting the case.
Prosecutors have additionally charged Elliott with felony cash laundering for receiving proceedings from alleged drug transactions believed to be greater than $1,500 from 2021 by way of final month. Elliott shouldn’t be accused in charging paperwork of transferring these funds by way of the jail in any vogue, neither is he accused of promoting any medicine to inmates.
In an announcement supplied to the Montana State Information Bureau, Montana Division of Corrections Director Brian Gootkin mentioned the division is working with the Montana Federation of Public Staff to make sure the expanded use of know-how to detect unlawful actions in its services, however didn’t elaborate on these applied sciences.
“The Division of Corrections’ employees at MSP is comprised of just about 700 hard-working women and men who guarantee the power operates 24 hours a day, seven days per week, 12 months a 12 months to guard the security and safety of Montanans,” Gootkin mentioned. “It’s our dedication to make sure we’re centered on having one of the best folks doable working in these positions of belief and holding those that break that belief accountable.”
Seaborn Larson has labored for the Montana State Information Bureau since 2020. His previous work consists of native crime and courts reporting on the Missoulian and Nice Falls Tribune, and every day information reporting on the Day by day Inter Lake in Kalispell.
