COOK COUNTY, IL – Two women and two men – including one man in custody – are facing felony charges for recent attempts to smuggle deadly drug-soaked paper into Cook County Jail.
On Tuesday, Sheriff’s Police arrested Brandy Frazier, 23, and Leroy Carter, 42, after they tried to smuggle drug-soaked paper to an individual in custody during a medical appointment at a local hospital.
In March, investigators learned that a 26-year-old individual in custody at the Jail, contacted Frazier and instructed her to bring paper soaked in drugs to the hospital and leave it in the bathroom for him at the clinic he was scheduled to visit. The individual instructed Frazier to hide the substance in the bathroom so he could retrieve it during his appointment.
On March 5, Sheriff’s Police investigators confronted Frazier, who was accompanied by Carter, in the waiting room of the clinic at the hospital. A small matchbook wrapped tightly in plastic containing three pieces of suspected drug-soaked paper was recovered from Carter’s pocket.
Frazier told investigators that an unknown individual dropped off the suspected drug-soaked paper for her to take to the individual in custody. Frazier and Carter were released pending further investigation.
Investigators sent the suspected drug-soaked paper to the Illinois State Police lab, where tests confirmed the paper contained a synthetic cannabinoid.
On Tuesday, Frazier, of the 3000 block of South Rhodes Avenue in Chicago, and Carter, of the 0-100 block of East 104th Street in Chicago, were arrested at their homes.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office approved charges against Frazier of Possession of a Controlled Substance, a Class 4 felony, and Attempt to Introduce Contraband into a Penal Institution, a Class 1 felony. Carter was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance, a Class 4 felony.
Frazier and Carter are scheduled to appear for initial appearance hearings today at the George N. Leighton Criminal Courthouse.
The investigation of the individual in custody is ongoing.
In a separate case, a DeKalb woman and another man in custody at the Cook County Jail are facing felony charges after the woman tried to smuggle drug-soaked paper to the man during visitation.
On March 30, Josephine Frazier (no relation to Brandy Frazier), age 30, was visiting with Wendell Eiland, 27, (also known as Johnnie Johnson) in the Division 10 gymnasium when a corrections officer observed Frazier slide a small object across the table separating her from Eiland. Eiland then hid the item inside his pants.
Both Frazier and Eiland were separated, and a search of Eiland’s clothing revealed a baggie containing two small pill bottles which contained multiple pieces of suspected drug-soaked paper.
Frazier was released without charges pending further investigation, and the suspected drug-soaked paper was sent to the Illinois State Police lab for testing. Tests results confirmed the paper was soaked with a synthetic cannabinoid.
On May 10, Frazier was arrested at her home, and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office approved charges of Bringing Contraband into a Penal Institution, a Class 2 Felony, and Possession of a Controlled Substance, a Class 4 felony. She appeared for an initial appearance on the charges later that day, where she was ordered released to the community.
Eiland, who is currently awaiting trial for murder, was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance in a Penal Institution, a Class 1 felony.
The use of paper soaked in illegal substances, often mixed with dangerous household chemicals – including insecticide, fertilizer, and rat poison – has been a rising threat to the safety of individuals in custody across the country. In 2023, a sharp increase in the number of suspected overdose incidents and fatal overdoses at the Jail led to increased searches of living units and incoming mail to combat the influx of drug-soaked paper.
The Sheriff’s Office has aggressively sought charges against individuals found in possession of drug soaked paper and other dangerous drugs. From January 1, 2024, to present, 20 individuals in custody and 6 civilians have been charged in connection with possession of, or attempts to smuggle, drug-soaked paper and other illegal substances into the Jail.
The Sheriff’ Office, working in cooperation with Cook County Health, launched an ongoing public health campaign within the Jail to educate individuals on the danger these substances pose. Unlike opioids, synthetic cannabinoids and powerful animal tranquilizers such as xylazine cannot be reversed by naloxone.
As a result of these efforts, the number of fatal overdoses and suspected non-fatal overdoses in the Jail has plummeted over the past year. Unfortunately, Jail staff continue to find individuals attempting to smuggle illegal substances into the Jail, and the threat is growing, with recent confirmation of the presence in Chicago of medetomidine, an animal tranquilizer estimated to be 50 times more powerful than xylazine.
The public is reminded that the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty by the government in a court of law.
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