Woman Accused of Sending Drugs to Jefferson Co. Jail Inmate

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PINE CREEK TOWNSHIP, Pa. (EYT) – A DuBois woman is facing charges for allegedly attempting to mail controlled substances to an inmate at the Jefferson County Jail.

According to a criminal complaint, around 1:30 p.m. on August 21, 2013, police met with Jefferson County Jail Warden Thomas Elbel, who reported a letter was addressed to inmate Justin Lingenfelter which had been seized by jail personnel after an unknown substance was discovered in the glue portion of the envelope.

The letter allegedly had a return address of S. Lingenfelter, and when Elbel checked the visitation history for Justin Lingenfelter, he noted Stacey Marie Donahue, 29, of DuBois – identified as Justin Lingenfelter’s girlfriend – had used the name Stacey Lingenfelter, the complaint states.

Police took possession of the letter and entered it into evidence, then sent it to a Greensburg lab to have it analyzed, the complaint indicates.

On August 29, 2013, police were again contacted by Elbel after another suspicious letter was allegedly discovered on August 26, 2013. Police took possession of it and entered it into evidence, the complaint continues.

On October 10, 2013, Elbel contacted police a third time after a suspicious letter was allegedly discovered on October 6, 2013. This letter was also taken into possession by police and entered into evidence, the complaint states.

Elbel contacted police a fourth time on October 21, 2013, after yet another piece of suspicious mail was discovered around 2:41 p.m. on October 16, 2013. This card was addressed to Justin Lingenfelter with a return address in DuBois and from sender “Jimmy Clark,” and it allegedly had tan and yellow strips in the sealed glue area of the envelope, according to the complaint.

Police took possession of the letter and noted it contained a photograph of Stacey Donahue, also known as Stacey Lingenfelter, and it was entered into evidence, the complaint continues.

Police were contacted by Elbel a fifth time on October 28, 2013, after allegedly receiving another suspicious letter. Police took possession of a purple envelope containing a hand written letter to Lingenfelter with a return address listed as Cody Black, entering the letter into evidence, the complaint indicates.

On November 2, 2013, police downloaded a lab report prepared on October 30, 2013, by a forensic scientist at the Greensburg Regional Laboratory which allegedly indicated one piece of the orange strip associated with the first letter was confirmed to contain buprenorphine, a schedule III controlled substance, the complaint states.

On December 23, 2013, police requested the lab to analyze the other letters, and on January 29, 2014, they received a report from a forensic scientist at the lab which allegedly concluded the orange strips contained within the envelopes contained buprenorphine, a schedule III controlled substance, the complaint continues.

Police Speak With Donahue

Police spoke with Donahue at her residence around 9:30 a.m. on August 19, 2015, regarding the letters, and she allegedly confirmed she had been in a relationship with Justin Lingenfelter at the time he was at the Jefferson County Jail and that she had sent letters and cards to him, according to the complaint.

Police told her suboxone strips had been discovered in the letters, and she allegedly denied involvement and said she didn’t know how the strips were inserted. Police showed her a letter and several envelopes along with the photograph, and upon examining the letter, she allegedly confirmed she had sent it, the complaint states.

Police told Donahue they believed Lingenfelter was addicted upon his incarceration and contacted her saying he needed suboxone. Donahue then allegedly admitted Lingenfelter had told her how to conceal the strips in the letters after he called her within the first week he was in jail, the complaint continues.

Donahue allegedly told police she is prescribed suboxone for her addiction and sent portions of her strips in the envelopes and confirmed to police how she concealed the suboxone. Donahue allegedly said she may have sent as many as three or four envelopes and said she listed the return address of Cody Black on several of the letters, according to the complaint.

Based upon the information gathered during the investigation, Trooper Powell, of Punxsutawney-based State Police, requested an arrest warrant be issued for Donahue.

According to online court documents, Donahue is charged with five counts of contraband of controlled substances, Misdemeanor 2.

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on November 19 before District Judge Gregory Bazylak.


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