FBI Launches Investigation of Possible Corruption and Drug Trafficking at Clinton Correctional Facility

The Associated Press
The Associated Press

CNN is reporting that “the FBI has launched an investigation into possible broader corruption at the Clinton Correctional Facility in upstate New York.”

Convicted killers Richard Matt, 49, and David Sweat, 35, escaped from the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York on the morning of June 6, 2015.

Matt was shot and killed on June 26 in Franklin County, New York. Sweat was shot and captured in the Town of Constable, New York on June 28. Sweat is currently being treated at Albany Medical Center, where his condition was upgraded from “critical” to “serious” on Monday.

Citing law enforcement officials, CNN reported:

The probe is looking into possible drug trafficking and other criminal behavior among prison employees and inmates, the officials said. The probe is a result of evidence uncovered during the investigation of the escape of convicted killers Richard Matt and David Sweat.

One source familiar with the investigation into the escape of the two convicts from Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York tells Breitbart News “they are investigating a drug trade inside the prison that is being operated by the prisoners and the correctional officers.”

Another source familiar with the investigation tells Breitbart News the arrests of Joyce Mitchell and Gene Palmer are just “the tip of the iceberg.”

“I personally have had no knowledge of any drug contraband introduction by staff,” one retired correction officer tells Breitbart News.

“I do recall an incident in the past at Clinton, maybe 8 to 10 years ago, where a large amount of non-traditional marijuana was discovered on a hospital ward porter whose supervising officer had been having gambling/financial problems and I do not recall what happened to him. I  believe he retired under suspicious circumstance after a nephew of his was arrested selling marijuana by local authorities. So it would not surprise me to learn that this is the next step in the investigation,”  the retired correction officer says.

“Would it be a rare occurrence comparatively speaking to those such as what has occurred at other New York State facilities such as Great Meadows and Green Haven or even Sing Sing? I would say it would be,” the retired correction officer adds.

“By non-traditional marijuana, I mean marijuana with stems and seeds. By traditional marijuana I mean leafy marijuana without stems and seeds. If you find an inmate with non-traditional marijuana, that’s more likely to have been introduced by staff. If you find an inmate with the traditional leafy product, that would would be presumed to be introduced by inmate family members and friends who have boofed it or inserted it into soup cans,” the retired correction officer explains.

“Boofing is when a visitor to the prison puts the drugs in a balloons, inserts the balloon into their anus or vagina. They go to the bathroom, extract the ballon, presumably clean it off, put it in their mouth. When they kiss their inmate during the visit, they exchange the balloon. The inmate swallows the balloon, and when the inmate passes it a day or to later, he recovers the balloon, and then can use it or sell its contents,” the retired correction officer says.

Another retired officer, shaken by the arrest of Gene Palmer, says he has no specific knowledge related to claims of drug contraband at the prison.

“I couldn’t comment on that as I have no knowledge of it. But after hearing what Palmer admitted to doing and knowing all of the transfers into the prison of inexperienced officers it wouldn’t shock me,” the other retired correction officer says.

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