By Jason Meisner
Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO — A Cook County Jail guard has been charged as part of a scheme to use submarine sandwiches and other methods to smuggle marijuana, tobacco and other contraband into a maximum-security wing of the jail, federal authorities said Tuesday.
Three inmates were also charged, as well as three women accused of helping smuggle the contraband into the facility.
According to the charges, the women were instructed to buy large sandwiches “with a lot of meat,” pack small bags with marijuana and conceal them in the sandwich.
The inmates were secretly recorded talking about how to best compress the bags of marijuana and fold the sandwich tight to hide the contraband, according to the charges.
A criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday charged Jason Marek, a correctional officer since 2011 who authorities said goes by the nickname “Murder,” with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
Sheriff Tom Dart has scheduled an afternoon news conference to discuss the joint investigation.