By Andria Borba and Sam Cohen
Fox40
FOLSOM, Calif. — It’s the exact opposite of what the Man in Black, Johnny Cash, would’ve done.
The California Department of Corrections and Sacramento County Sheriff’s deputies caught felon and parolee Marvin Lane Ussery on the grounds of California State Prison, Sacramento - also known as New Folsom, this morning.
48-year-old Ussery claims he made his way back onto prison grounds because was “reminiscing”.
That’s the story he spun to prison guards and deputies, though they believe his trip down correctional memory lane was more sinister than that, “What we’re finding is that inmates are paroling from our minimum support facility and then they’re coming back and smuggling in contraband,” Sgt. Tony Quinn told FOX40.
The most popular contraband by far are cellphones. A refurbished cellphone can be bought for 20 bucks on the street and then sold for hundreds, if not thousands behind bars. And frankly, who knows the prison grounds better than a former inmate?
“They actually know the layout, so they know where to go, where to hide the stuff and where they’re buddies can pick it up,” Quinn said.
Ussery was spotted by thermal imaging cameras at Folsom Dam, sneaking onto prison grounds around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday.
He was caught hiding in tall, dry weeds around 7 a.m. and was then booked into the Sacramento County Jail. Despite an exhaustive search by prison guards, no contraband was found - though he’ll likely be joining them again soon.
Republished with permission from Fox40