Syracuse, N.Y. -- A 33-year-old Onondaga County Justice Center inmate has been caught with drugs hidden in four golf ball-sized balloons, according to the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office.
Inside the balloons, officials found 50 oxycodone pills, 77 suboxone strips and a small amount of tobacco and marijuana, according to a sheriff’s office news release Thursday.
Jamall McLaurin, 33, of Syracuse, was charged Wednesday with first-degree promoting prison contraband and fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance, deputies said.
He was recently sentenced to three years in state prison on another drug charge, deputies said. He was being held at the county jail before being transferred to a prison.
Custody deputies intercepted the contraband when McLaurin discarded the balloons near another inmate, they said.
McLaurin was arraigned Wednesday, deputies said. He is being held with no bail at the Jamesville Correctional Facility.
The investigation is ongoing. Deputies are attempting to determine how the contraband got into the jail, they said.
Staff writer Anne Hayes covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at ahayes@syracuse.com.