Inmates Used Bibles to Smuggle Drugs into a Virginia County Jail
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When an inmate asked her mother to bring her a Bible, it seemed she was just trying to turn over a new leaf, but her sudden conversion turned out to be one more attempt to get high. Heather Ann Crutchley and Billy Brandice Kilmon pleaded guilty in Accomack County Circuit Court to arranging the smuggling operation—which involved bringing contraband into the Accomack County jail with the drugs hidden in the spines of the holy books.
Knowing that visitors were allowed to bring Bibles into the jail for inmates, Crutchley asked her mother to go to the home she shared with her boyfriend and bring her a Bible. Her innocent mother complied, not knowing she was smuggling illegal drugs into jail.
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Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Spencer Morgan explained how a jailer became suspicious when he noticed a strange bulge in the bible. Close examination of the holy book’s spine revealed a cellophane cigarette package containing a bindle of white powder. When Kilmon’s boyfriend dropped off a second Bible later that day, it was searched and found to contain drugs as well. The type of drugs discovered in the Bibles were not specified beyond being a white power, opening the door to the possibility of heroin, cocaine or methamphetamine.
A search warrant executed at Crutchley’s home turned up more drugs and her boyfriend was busted. When questioned by police, he said that Crutchley and Kilmon had come up with the scheme to get illegal drugs into the jail. Prosecutors obtained recorded telephone calls between the women and their men where arrangements were made for the deliveries of the contraband.
Serving a jail sentence for breaking and entering, as well as grand larceny, Kilmon admitted her role in the scheme. Strangely enough, a third Bible was found with drugs inside later that week, but nothing directly linked the women to that contraband. Naturally, they denied knowing anything about it. Perhaps the saddest part of the whole escapade is that the Accomack County jail no longer allows visitors to bring Bibles to inmates.
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Growing up in Manhattan as a stutterer, John Lavitt discovered that writing was the best way to express himself when the words would not come. After graduating with honors from Brown University, he lived on the Greek island of Patmos, studying with his mentor, the late American poet Robert Lax. As a writer, John’s published work includes three articles in Chicken Soup For The Soul volumes and poems in multiple poetry journals and compilations. Active in recovery, John has been the Treatment Professional News Editor for The Fix. Since 2015, he has published over 500 articles on the addiction and recovery news website. Today, he lives in Los Angeles with his beautiful wife, trying his best to be happy and creative. Find John on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
