YORK, Pa. — A York County Prison Corrections Officer and prison inmate are facing charges after authorities learned of a plan for the officer to smuggle Suboxone to the inmate.
York County Prison Corrections Officer Joshua Martinez, 31, of Red Lion, is facing possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and conspiracy charges for his role in the incident.
Over the past two weeks, State Police say they learned that Martinez intended to smuggle Suboxone strips and distribute them to inmate Lleland Wade, 34.
Police say that Suboxone is a prescription medication commonly prescribed to reduce symptoms of opiate addiction and withdrawal.
Authorities say based on their information, troopers and York County Drug Task Force investigators followed Martinez after he left his shift at York County Prison at midnight on June 6.
Police had learned that Martinez would be driving to the Elizabethtown area to obtain Suboxone from Wade's girlfriend, Chelsea Cochran, 25.
Officials followed Martinez to Cochran's home in Lancaster County, and just prior to him arriving, police saw Cochran place an item inside her mailbox.
Upon arrival, Martinez was seen removing an item from the same mailbox.
Police say when Martinez left the area, he was followed by investigators as he returned to York County.
Around 2:00 a.m. on June 6, police stopped Martinez on Route 30 in Hellam Township.
He was detained and a search warrant was obtained for his vehicle.
Once inside, police found 75 Suboxone strips and $2,900 in cash.
Wade and Cochran are also facing charges for their roles in the incident.
District Attorney Dave Sunday said, “I am thankful for the swift collaborative work of the Pennsylvania State Police, York County Drug Task Force and York County Prison officials for thoroughly investigating and filing charges in this serious matter implicating the abuse of public trust.”
York County Prison Warden Clair Doll released the following statement on Martinez's arrest:
On June 6, 2020, in the early morning hours, Corrections Officer Joshua Martinez was arrested by the Pennsylvania State Police for drug and contraband-related offenses. The arrest was the result of a joint effort by multiple agencies and the York County Prison Office of Intelligence and Security to stop the introduction of controlled substances into the secure prison. Corrections Officer Martinez is currently on administrative leave pending the completion of an internal investigation. The alleged conduct not only violates public trust, but also contradicts the prison’s mission to maintain a safe, secure and treatment-focused environment.
