Thurston County inmate fails to stash suspected fentanyl down his pants

K-9 Talia searched a housing area after an inmate was caught allegedly trying to conceal a narcotic in his pants at Thurston County Corrections Facility on April 15.

Courtesy of Thurston County Sheriff's Office

Posted Tuesday, April 21, 2026 3:25 pm

By The JOLT Staff

An inmate in custody for a domestic violence offense added to his legal woes when he was caught with his hands down the back of his trousers while trying to stash a suspected narcotic at Thurston County Corrections Facility.

The incident played out while the unidentified inmate was being escorted through the facility on April 15. A corrections sergeant observed the inmate, who was restrained, making furtive movements with his hands.

"The (sergeant) intervened and discovered the inmate was attempting to shove a small amount of suspected fentanyl into his rectal cavity," said Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders in a social media post on April 16.

"The (sergeant) grabbed the inmate and a struggle ensued, at which point the inmate tried to eat the narcotics but was stopped from doing so."

The inmate was subsequently booked for possessing a controlled sustance in a correctional facility. A sweep of his previous housing area was also conducted by K-9 Talia.

"Great job by corrections staff to remain attentive and prevent the fentanyl from being distributed through the facility, which would have undoubtedly resulted in overdoses," said Sanders in the social media post.

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johnvaneenwyk

To quote the immortal Dave Barry: “You can’t make this stuff up!"

Tuesday, April 21 Report this
PatMer

It's very sad and bad that the DOH mandated, last year, less powered scan in the county jail for drugs hidden on inmates coming into the jail:

Reduced Scanner Power: In January 2025, the Department of Health limited the radiation dosage for jail scanners to

millisieverts, down from previous, higher levels.

Ineffective Detection: Sheriff Derek Sanders stated that this lower power produces "messy, indiscernible blobs" rather than clear images, allowing inmates to hide drugs in body cavities or small areas.

Safety Crisis: The decrease in scanning capability led to an influx of drugs, including fentanyl, resulting in overdoses and deaths in the jail.

Wednesday, April 22 Report this

Thurston County inmate fails to stash suspected fentanyl down his pants

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