A 44-year-old Fairburn, Georgia woman is headed to federal prison for 78 months after investigators say she used the U.S. mail to smuggle synthetic drugs into Alabama correctional facilities, including by soaking a paperback book written by a well-known Christian author and mailing it straight to an inmate behind bars.
Jinna Candice Moore pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of a controlled substance and three counts of unlawful use of a communication facility, according to al.com. A federal court sentenced her last week to 78 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, per the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Alabama, as reported by WSB-TV. Because she was convicted in the federal system, there is no parole — she will serve out her sentence before beginning supervised release.
The Drug Known as Paper Route
Investigators say Moore mailed illicit drugs to Alabama prisons, at least one county jail, and other individuals across the state. The scheme centered on a synthetic substance known by several street names — “Paper Route,” “jail paper,” “drug-soaked paper,” or simply “strips” — in which synthetic cannabinoids are sprayed onto ordinary paper. Inmates then eat or smoke the paper to experience hallucinogenic effects, the al.com report notes.
In one particularly brazen incident, Moore allegedly soaked a paperback book by Christian author Max Lucado in the synthetic substance and mailed it to an inmate at Kilby Correctional Facility, according to al.com. Investigators ultimately linked several intercepted packages back to Moore and a business shipping account she controlled, WSB-TV reported.
How the Investigation Unfolded
The case began in July 2024, after federal investigators met with officials at the Mobile and Monroe county jails who were alarmed by Paper Route turning up inside their facilities, per the earlier account from al.com. From there, investigators traced a Pitney Bowes mailing account tied to Paper Route packages back to Moore, determining the account had generated more than 5,400 labels or stamps between 2022 and 2024.
The DEA, FBI, and U.S. Postal Service all took part in investigating the case, the outlet's report states. In February 2025, USPS intercepted a parcel bound for a Montgomery residence that contained dog treats alongside a bag of yellow paste that tested positive for methamphetamine — part of the broader pattern investigators say they uncovered as they built the case against Moore.
Part of a Wider Contraband Crackdown
Moore's case is one of several Alabama prison-contraband investigations that have surfaced in recent months. The Alabama Department of Corrections has reported a separate residential search that recovered roughly 71 grams of paper soaked in a suspected synthetic controlled substance, along with suspected synthetic marijuana, a drone, and $1,500 in cash. In another case detailed by the agency, K9 officers confiscated about 62 grams of synthetic cannabinoids valued near $3,100 and roughly 136 grams of marijuana worth about $2,700.
Federal prosecutors have also pursued a separate multi-defendant conspiracy in which the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Alabama says the DEA began investigating in 2024 after learning an incarcerated person was coordinating narcotics deliveries into a prison. And in August, officials said two people were arrested after search warrants tied to prison contraband were executed, with agents recovering 481 grams of synthetic cannabinoids and 10 fluid ounces of liquid methamphetamine in Talladega, according to WBRC.
The synthetic-paper smuggling tactic isn't confined to Alabama. In Colorado, a Department of Corrections parolee named Brent Crews was arrested in April 2025 for allegedly mailing papers laced with synthetic cannabinoids into five state prison facilities, reportedly charging inmates between $1,000 and $2,000 per page, according to the Canon City Daily Record. He was later sentenced to 12 years in the Department of Corrections followed by two years of parole. Synthetic cannabinoids have been linked to seizures and deaths.
