Five people have been indicted on charges of conspiring to smuggle drugs into the Multnomah County Detention Center, as reported by the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office. A joint investigative effort between the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Detective Unit and the District Attorney’s Office kicked off this case in December 2023 with a focus on Levi Denison, a 30-year-old detainee suspected of coordinating these illicit acts.
Monitoring Denison's phone activity, a detective uncovered communications implicating others in the plot to sneak contraband, such as methamphetamine, heroin, and a Schedule III substance known as buprenorphine or Suboxone, into the correctional facility. After running the investigation, according to the MCSO, the group was thwarted from getting drugs inside the jail.
The indictments, announced on March 14, were for Levi Denison, Rain Vaday, age 26, Shawn Mastne, age 33, Shelby Steelman, age 27, and Danielle Young, age 44. The charges include conspiracy to commit supplying contraband and unlawful delivery of methamphetamine, with Denison and Young also facing charges for the delivery of buprenorphine. The information's public disclosure had been delayed until all the indicted individuals were located and apprehended.
"I am very proud of the work by our detective assigned to the corrections facilities," Sheriff Morrisey O’Donnell stated, ensuring the safety and well-being inside the walls of their institutions is a topmost priority. Per the MCSO release, only Denison and Steelman remained in custody as of the announcement.
