A prison worker was killed by drug-laced mail at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atwater, California.
Three people are under arrest in connection wth the incident.
Jamar Jones, 35, an inmate at USP Atwater; Stephanie Ferreira, 35, of Evansville, Indiana; and Jermen Rudd III, 37, of Wentzville, Missouri, are accused of conspiring to introduce narcotics into the prison for Jones to sell, according to the DEA.
Between July 15 and August 9, Jones and Ferreira allegedly orchestrated a plan in which Rudd would mail a letter laced with narcotics to Jones that was fraudulently labeled as legal mail.
On August 9, a correctional officer at USP Atwater opened that letter and, minutes later, began to feel ill.
Following an initial evaluation by medical staff, the officer was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
Another correctional officer came into contact with the narcotics-laced letter but recovered.
The trio has been charged with a criminal complaint for conspiring to distribute controlled substances and introducing narcotic drugs to an inmate.
If convicted of conspiracy to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance, Jones and Rudd face a maximum of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
If Ferreira is convicted of providing or attempting to provide an inmate with a narcotic drug, she faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison as well as a fine of up to $250,000.
