Fresno, CA – A federal grand jury has indicted three individuals for conspiracy 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.
According to court documents, between July 15, 2024, and August 9, 2024, Jamar Jones, 35, an inmate at USP Atwater; Stephanie Ferreira, 35, of Evansville, Indiana; and Jermen Rudd III, 37, of Wentzville, Missouri, conspired to introduce narcotics into USP Atwater for Jones to sell. As part of that scheme, Jones and Ferreira had Rudd mail a letter laced with narcotics to Jones that was fraudulently labeled as legal mail.
On August 9, 2024, two correctional workers at USP Atwater opened the letter and minutes later began to feel ill. After evaluation by medical staff, the Supervisory Correctional Systems Specialist was subsequently taken to the hospital where he passed away. The other staff member, a Correctional Systems Officer, recovered.
The indictment charges that the narcotics in the letter consisted of two varieties of synthetic cannabinoids sold under the street name ‘Spice.’ Synthetic cannabinoids are lab-created chemicals that can be distributed in liquid form and are designed to produce a psychoactive effect.
Defendant Information:
Defendant: Jamar Jones
Charges: Conspiracy to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance, being an inmate obtaining or attempting to obtain narcotic drug
Maximum Sentence: 30 years in prison, fine up to $250,000
Current Status: Scheduled for initial appearance in Fresno on Thursday
Defendant: Stephanie Ferreira
Charges: Conspiracy to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance, providing or attempting to provide an inmate with a narcotic drug
Maximum Sentence: 20 years in prison, fine up to $250,000
Current Status: In custody, pending transfer to Fresno
Defendant: Jermen Rudd III
Charges: Conspiracy to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance, providing or attempting to provide an inmate with a narcotic drug
Maximum Sentence: 20 years in prison, fine up to $250,000
Current Status: In custody, pending transfer to Fresno
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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Veneman-Hughes is prosecuting the case.
Related Federal Cases
- Joshua James Cannady, Conspiracy to Distribute, Iowa 2023 · New York
- Steven Hook, Methamphetamine Distribution Conspiracy, Missouri 2019 · California
- Jermen Rudd III, Conspiracy to Distribute Narcotics, California 2024 · California
- John Cruz, Counterfeit Xanax Sales, New York 2024 · New York
- Alvin Mitchell, Fentanyl Trafficking, Nebraska 2026 · Louisiana
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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