2 charged with attempting to bring narcotics into Cook County Jail
CHICAGO (CBS) – A man and a woman are both charged with trying to bring in paper-soaked narcotics inside the Cook County Jail, Sheriff Tom Dart announced Saturday.
Sheriff's Office investigators were contacted back in April by a correctional officer who said Dwain Johnson, 20, who was in custody, approached him about bringing drug-soaked paper into the jail.
Johnson had been held without bail since Dec. 18, 2020, for the murder and attempted carjacking of a retired Chicago firefighter.
According to an investigation, Johnson offered to pay the officer $1,500.
The officer provided a phone number to Johnson who then provided it to his girlfriend, Kasandra Claudio, 23, of Bellwood.
Claudio contacted the number and arranged a meeting on Thursday at a suburban mall parking lot with who she thought was the officer's girlfriend, but was an undercover Sheriff's officer.
Investigators placed Claudio into custody after she provided an envelope with paper saturated in suspected narcotics to the officer.
On Friday, Claudio and Johnson were charged by the Cook County State's Attorney's Office with attempting to bring contraband into a penal institution and bribery of a public official.
Claudio is scheduled to appear for a bond hearing Saturday at the George N. Leighton Criminal Court Building. The State's Attorney's Office will be seeking an indictment against Johnson.
Dart says paper laced with narcotics has become a growing problem of concern for correctional facilities across the country, including the Cook County Jail.
The concern has led to numerous new policies, including increasing the search of mail and regulating paper brought into the facility, to protect staff and those in custody.
