By Rose Quinn
The Daily Times
DELAWARE COUNTY, Pa. — Caught allegedly smuggling prescription pills to her incarcerated boyfriend in a newborn baby’s diaper, a 24-year-old woman admitted it wasn’t the first time, according to authorities and a court document.
Jennifer E. Young, of the 3700 block of Hereford Lane in Philadelphia, was visiting inmate Randy Sanchez at the county prison the evening of April 9. She was arrested about 8 p.m. by county Detective Lt. Michael Boudwin.
Authorities received a tip regarding Young and possible contraband, according to prison Superintendent John A. Reilly Jr.
As such, he said, “guards tracked her from the gate.”
Reilly said the couple’s visit, like all at the Thornbury facility, was closely monitored.
"(Young) put the baby on Sanchez’s lap and Sanchez was seen pulling something from the baby’s diaper,” Reilly said.
As a prison officer approached the couple, Sanchez was then seen dropping an item on the floor, according to the affidavit of probable cause for Young’s arrest.
The item — a rubber glove, according to Reilly — was found to contain nine pills, later identified by medical staff as five Xanax, an anti-anxiety drug, and four Suboxone, used for treatment of addictions, according to Reilly and the affidavit.
Both Young and Sanchez were interviewed.
Young admitted passing a package to Sanchez “via the baby,” according to the probable-cause affidavit for her arrest. Both she and Sanchez admitted it was the second time they used the newborn — presumably theirs, authorities said — to pass illegal drugs.
Sanchez told prison authorities that he had asked Young to bring the drugs. He said he intended to use the Xanax and sell the Suboxone, the affidavit states.
During a search of Young’s car, authorities found a latex glove, which was missing the fingers, as well as prescription bottles that contained Xanax, the affidavit states. The vehicle was impounded.
Young appeared for preliminary arraignment April 10. She was released on $25,000 unsecured bail, set by Magisterial District Judge Steven Sandone. He also set the April 14 preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Nicholas Lippincott.
When Young failed to appear for her preliminary hearing, the proceeding was held without her, Assistant District Attorney Erica Parham, office spokeswoman, said Wednesday.
Young was held for trial on all charges, including possession, possession with the intent to deliver, conspiracy and contraband, according to online records. Her formal arraignment at the Court of Common Pleas is listed for 9 a.m. May 12.
“If she fails to appear at the arraignment, a warrant will be issued for her failure to appear,” Parham said Wednesday.
Sanchez is awaiting an April 27 preliminary hearing in Upper Darby, online records state. He’s been confined since his March 14 arrest, in lieu of 10 percent of $100,000 bail.
He is charged with multiple counts of access device and conspiracy offenses, as well as theft by deception and possession of an instrument of crime and criminal attempt to possess marijuana.
Though using babies to smuggle drugs into the prison is not a frequent occurrence, “it happens more than you would think,” Parham said.
She also said that it’s not something the district attorney’s office takes lightly. The charge carries a two-year mandatory sentence. As such, she said women have wound up doing more time than those they had initially gone to visit do.
Times Correspondent Linda Reilly contributed to this report.
Republished with permission from Delaware County Daily Times