Helena pair accused of smuggling drugs into jail with postage stamps
By: MTN News
HELENA - A Helena man and women have been charged with felony conspiracy (transferring illegal articles) for allegedly attempting to smuggle drugs into the Lewis and Clark County Detention Center.
Michael James George, 31, and 28-year-old Victoria Lin Fauque, appeared by video in Lewis and Clark County Justice Court on Thursday, Dec. 26.
The two are accused of attempting to smuggle Suboxone (Buprenorphine) into the jail by using postage stamps.
Suboxone is a Schedule III controlled substance used to treat addiction to opioids, but the drug can also be abused.
According to court documents, Fauque delivered a book of stamps to the detention center and informed an officer they were for George who was incarcerated at the time.
Per protocol, all items received for inmates are screened for narcotics by a K-9.
The dog alerted officers to the presence of drugs and officers noticed some of the stamps looked like they were raised up. When inspected closer, orange strips of Suboxone were found placed under several stamps in the booklet.
Detention staff provided George with a new book of stamps after detectives seized the one delivered by Fauque.
Detectives then reviewed Georges's calls from the jail and identified one where George allegedly told someone to buy a book of stamps and meet with Fauque. In another George told Fauque there was nothing in the stamps and she should make the next delivery under another inmate's name.
Bond for Fauque was set at $5,000. George's bond was set at $10,000.