Three indicted in fatal prison drug conspiracy at USP Atwater

Three people have been indicted for conspiracy to distribute narcotics in prison.

A federal grand jury indicted three individuals for conspiring to distribute narcotics and introducing a controlled substance into prison as a result of an ongoing investigation into the death of a supervisory correctional systems specialist at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atwater.

Between July 15,2024, and Aug. 9, USP Atwater inmate Jamar Jones, 35, Stephanie Ferrira, 35 of Evansville Indiana; and Jermen Rudd III, 37, of Wentzville, Missouri, conspired to bring narcotics into the penitentiary to sell.

Rudd mailed a letter laced with narcotics to jones that was fraudulently labeled as legal mail.

On Aug. 9, two correctional workers at USP Atwater opened the later and began to feel ill minutes later.

One of the workers was taken to the hospital where he later died. The other worker recovered.

The letter consisted of two varieties of synthetic cannabinoids sold under the name “Spice.”

Ferreira remains in custody and is pending transfer to Fresno. Rudd is also in custody and pending transfer to Fresno.

Jones appeared in court in Fresno on Aug. 29.

If convicted of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, Jones and Rudd face a max sentence of $250,000.

If Jones is convicted of being an inmate obtaining or attempting to obtain narcotics, he faces a max sentence of 20 years and a fine up to $250,00.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California also received assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern District of Missouri and the Southern District of Indiana.