A correction officer at Norfolk County Correctional Center and four other individuals are facing charges of conspiring to smuggle drugs into the jail, officials announced. Jean Guirand, the now-former correction officer from Saugus, is accused of collaborating with two inmates and two women to bring Suboxone strips – a drug commonly used to treat opioid addiction but often abused – into the facility.
During a press conference, Norfolk County Sheriff Patrick McDermott detailed that Guirand was approached by inmate Dante Clarke in July and agreed to bring drugs into the facility for payment, as reported by NBC Boston. The correction officer met with Amaya Rogers, one of the accomplices, in the parking lot of the jail. The drugs were concealed inside a Wendy's fast food bag, and Guirand allegedly brought them into the housing unit concealed between trash bags.
Investigators unearthed 238 Suboxone strips in the cell of one of the inmates involved, valuing approximately $47,600 in a correctional setting, according to McDermott. Guirand, who was hired in April after significant screening and training, admitted to his involvement when confronted by authorities, as noted in a statement obtained by CBS Boston. He claimed to have been told he was smuggling K2, a synthetic form of marijuana, into the facility.
Ongoing efforts were revealed through the review of surveillance video and phone calls, showing that Avelina Faustin and Amaya Rogers, both known to inmates Clarke and Cornel Bell, played key roles in acquiring and transferring the narcotics. According to the sheriff's office, inmates Clarke and Bell, who are currently held in connection with a 2022 murder investigation, guided the women in obtaining and delivering the Suboxone.
As per Boston 25 News, charges against the five suspects, including drug conspiracy, delivering drugs to a correctional institution, and possession of Class B drugs with the intent to distribute have been filed in Dedham District Court. All suspects have been summoned to appear in court in early October.
Sheriff McDermott, addressing the severity of the breach, stated, "This officer betrayed the honor of the men and women who serve with honesty and integrity as dedicated correction officers in Norfolk County," according to Boston 25 News. He emphasized the office's commitment to the rehabilitation mission and the disappointment in witnessing a trained corrections officer fail to uphold the standards expected of them.
