A narcotics smuggling ring operating within Riverside County correctional facilities has been dismantled resulting in multiple arrests and the seizure of illegal drugs and a firearm, according to a detailed report released by the Riverside County Sheriff's Office.
The investigation, which began in June 2024, targeted individuals working in tandem with inmates to facilitate the flow of drugs like methamphetamine into the jails, the Riverside Sheriff's Office's Corrections Investigations Bureau executed three search warrants on December 10, in Riverside and Fontana uncovering 2.5 pounds of fentanyl and 3.5 ounces of methamphetamine in the process, among other contraband before leading to the arrest of Shaun Adamson, Chantelle Neal, and Rigoberto Plasencia, as reported by the Riverside County Sheriff's Office.
Adamson, a 31-year-old Fontana resident is now facing charges including narcotics sales, narcotics transportation, conspiracy, and possession of a firearm by a felon while Neal, a 33-year-old from Riverside, has been charged with the sales of narcotics in jail, transportation, and possession of narcotics for sale, and conspiracy, as disclosed by the Riverside County Sheriff's Office. Plasencia, already an inmate at the Cois Byrd Detention Center, has been charged with smuggling narcotics into a jail, possession and sale of narcotics in jail, and conspiracy.
The success of the operation by the Riverside County Sheriff's Office is part of a larger initiative to clamp down on drug smuggling within the county's jails, using tools like the "Tek-84" scanning device and ongoing comprehensive criminal investigations to prevent narcotics from compromising the integrity of their correctional system, during the search warrants service, two other individuals Violeta Lopez and Eric Johnson were also arrested on unrelated drug possession charges.
As part of their strategy, the Riverside Sheriff's Office emphasizes education for inmates about the dangers of narcotics, particularly fentanyl, through the provision of educational materials and classes by the Detention Health Services Division of the Riverside University Health System. The investigation carried out by the Corrections Investigations Bureau remains open, and authorities are encouraging anyone with pertinent information to come forward.
