4 charged in Cook County Jail drug smuggling attempt

CHICAGO - Four individuals, including one inmate, are facing felony charges for allegedly attempting to smuggle drug-soaked paper into the Cook County Jail.

Brandy Frazier, 23, and Leroy Carter, 42, were arrested Tuesday after officials said they tried to deliver drug-soaked paper to an inmate during a local hospital visit in March. Investigators had learned that a 26-year-old inmate directed Frazier to leave the contraband in a hospital bathroom for retrieval.

Sheriff's police said they confronted Frazier and Carter at the hospital on March 5, discovering three pieces of drug-soaked paper on Carter. The paper tested positive for synthetic cannabinoids.

Frazier and Carter face charges including possession of a controlled substance and attempting to introduce contraband into a penal institution. They were scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.

In a separate incident, Josephine Frazier, 30 (no relation to Brandy Frazier), and inmate Wendell Eiland, 27, were charged after Frazier allegedly attempted to pass drug-soaked paper during a jail visit on March 30.

<div>Wendell Eiland, Leroy Carter, Josephine Frazier and Brandy Frazier | Provided</div>
Wendell Eiland, Leroy Carter, Josephine Frazier and Brandy Frazier | Provided

Eiland, awaiting trial for murder, was found with synthetic cannabinoid-soaked paper after Frazier allegedly slid him the drugs as they were sitting across from one another at a table. The incident was caught on surveillance video.

Both face charges of possession of a controlled substance, with additional charges for Frazier of bringing contraband into a penal institution.

The Sheriff’s Office has heightened efforts to combat drug-soaked paper smuggling, resulting in significant decreases in overdoses at the jail. From January 2024 to present, 26 individuals have been charged in connection with such attempts.