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DUCHESNE — A Fort Duchesne woman is accused of smuggling methamphetamine into the Duchesne County Jail where investigators say she shared it with four other women.
Maylene Murray Lucero, 26, was booked into the jail on Dec. 2 about 6 a.m., Duchesne County Sheriff's Lt. Jeremy Curry said. After being strip searched by a female corrections sergeant and issued a jail uniform, she was put in a cell in the booking area because she appeared to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, Curry said.
A few hours later, another female inmate was moved to the holding cell to await transportation to the Iron County Jail. While the two women were inside the cell, Lucero reached into her own pants, pulled out a small amount of meth and gave it to the other inmate, Curry said.
The second inmate swallowed the drug before leaving the holding cell, the lieutenant said. When she reached the Iron County Jail at 3:30 p.m., she was complaining of stomach pain and told the medical staff she had ingested meth.
Everywhere she went, she gave people drugs.
–Lt. Jeremy Curry, Duchesne County Sheriff's Office
Corrections officers in Iron County called the Duchesne County Jail with the information. By then Lucero had given meth to another woman who had spent time in the holding cell with her, Curry said. She had also been moved into the jail's housing area and had given meth to two other female inmates, the lieutenant said.
"Everywhere she went, she gave people drugs," he said.
Drug tests, jail surveillance video and interviews helped investigators identify the inmates who took the meth. Investigators believe the drugs were not found during the initial strip search because Lucero had hidden them inside her body.
Jail policy prohibits corrections officers from conducting body cavity searches, Curry said. However, if an officer has reasonable suspicion to believe someone has contraband hidden inside their body, the jail's part-time medical staff can be asked to perform a cavity search.
Duchesne County prosecutors are expected to file several felony charges against Lucero in connection with the incident. The inmates who took the meth from her are also expected to face charges, Curry said.
