By Sandra Yi
Deseret Morning News
LAYTON, Utah — A corrections officer at the Utah State Prison found himself behind bars Tuesday after being arrested on drug charges. Officers with the Weber-Morgan Narcotics Strike Force took Jacob Olson, 23, into custody for investigation of possessing heroin and cocaine with the intent to distribute.
He was later released in bail. While the arrest did not happen at the prison, investigators are looking into whether Olson took any drugs to work. “He’s telling us he didn’t have any drug involvement at work, but he is a heroin addict. So how credible is he?” said Strike Force Commander Lt. Darin Parke. Olson was arrested Tuesday evening in a parking lot north of Layton Hills Mall. He admitted to officers that he was a regular heroin user. Officers had been watching Olson for the past few weeks, after getting information that he was dealing heroin. Investigators observed Olson and another man, Casey
Archer, 22, engaging in what appeared to be a drug deal. Both were arrested. “They both confessed they had just made a drug deal and they had heroin in their possession,” Parke said. He also said that between the two men they had 20 balloons of heroin and one balloon of cocaine worth around $400.
Olson was charged with two counts of possession of heroin with intent in a drug free zone, one count of possession of cocaine with intent in a drug free zone and one count of possessing drug paraphernalia. Olson’s status as a corrections officer is still pending, but authorities said some action could be taken prior to his next scheduled shift. The Department of Corrections hired Olson in March and he has been working at the prison for the past four months. On Wednesday, the Dept of
Corrections acknowledged the arrest and Olson’s role with the agency. “The allegations are very serious, and the department will treat them as such,” said spokesman Stephen Gehrke. Parke said the case highlights the bigger problem of heroin, which has quickly become the drug of choice in Utah. “Heroin addiction is a pretty nasty thing,” he said. The demand for heroin is higher than any other drug, surpassing methamphetamine and prescription medications, he added. “Heroin abuse is growing all over, especially the Salt Lake, Ogden, metropolitan area,” Parke said.
Authorities say, heroin use has grown exponentially in recent years. Parke explained that heroin production in Mexico has increased more than 300 percent in the past few years, making it cheaper and easier to get than prescription drugs. “You combine those two elements of availability and demand and heroin has just gone crazy,” Parke said.
Copyright 2011 The Deseret News Publishing Co.