BELLINGHAM — A man was arrested after corrections deputies reportedly uncovered a plot to smuggle tobacco to inmates inside the Whatcom County Jail.
“This case highlights the ongoing vigilance and efforts our corrections staff perform to limit the introduction of contraband into the jail and work center to maintain the safety and security of inmates and employees,” the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office said in a release.
Steven Lee Dodson, 42, was booked into the jail last week on suspicion of third-degree introducing contraband and driving with a suspended license. Jail records show he is being held in lieu of $5,000 bail, the Bellingham Herald reported.
Deputies first learned about the contraband smuggling plot on Jan. 14, according to the release. They monitored nine phone calls made from 32-year-old inmate Cody Lee Wilson between 7:45 and 9:30 p.m. to an unknown person outside the jail.
During the calls, details about when and where the accomplice would meet Wilson’s connection and details about how it would be smuggled into the jail were discussed, officials said.
At about 8:45 p.m., corrections deputies spotted a vehicle matching the description of the one talked about in the phone calls, officials said. A man then walked to the area between the jail and courthouse and looked around before returning to the car and leaving.
Deputies stopped the car and identified the driver as Dodson, who admitted to driving with a suspended license and was detained, the release states.
On the front seat of the car, deputies saw a large straw with a loop made from a rope attached to it. Dodson reportedly later admitted the straw was full of tobacco and was intended to be brought to inmates in the jail’s outdoor recreation area. It was not immediately known if he has a lawyer.
Correction deputies found a “fishing line,” made of a string with a pencil attached to the end as a weight, in the outdoor recreation area, according to the release.
