FRESNO, Calif. — A brazen plot to smuggle narcotics into the U.S. Penitentiary in Atwater has landed a federal inmate and a Texas woman in hot water. Anthony Minor, 34, an inmate at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atwater, and Tilisha Morrison, 33, of Irving, Texas, have been indicted on conspiracy charges related to the scheme.
According to court documents, Minor and Morrison worked together to smuggle narcotics into the facility where Minor is currently serving a federal prison sentence. Between October 2021 and January 2022, Morrison mailed packages containing concealed narcotics to various USP Atwater inmates three times, marking each package as ‘legal mail’ from actual criminal defense attorneys in Dallas.
Morrison included a piece of forged letterhead purportedly from the attorney listed as the sender in each package. This daring ruse was meant to fool prison officials into allowing the packages to pass through undetected. But the scheme ultimately unraveled, and Minor and Morrison now face serious consequences.
The indictment charges Minor and Morrison with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, conspiracy to provide contraband in a prison, and conspiracy to commit identity fraud.
Morrison is also charged with three counts of distribution of a controlled substance, three counts of providing contraband in a prison, and three counts of identity fraud.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Massey is prosecuting the case.
Minor and Morrison are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The case is a stark reminder of the ongoing threat of prison contraband smuggling and the importance of vigilance in preventing it.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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