Cavalier woman arrested for allegedly smuggling Suboxone into Grand Forks County Correctional Center
May 14—GRAND FORKS — A Cavalier woman was arrested Monday, May 13, in connection with a report of Suboxone film strips being smuggled into the Grand Forks County Correctional Center through greeting card envelopes.
Elaine Alexis Longtine, 25, was charged May 9 with Class A felony conspiracy to deliver or possess with intent to deliver a controlled substance in a correctional facility. The crime has a maximum 20-year sentence.
In April, law enforcement received a report that GFCCC staff found small, orange tab-like stickers inside the envelope of a greeting card, according to a probable cause statement filed in the case.
The appearance of the stickers was consistent with Suboxone, a medication comprised of buprenorphine and naloxone and used to treat opioid disorder. It's available in tablet and film strip forms; the latter dissolves inside the mouth.
An informant said
Andrew Harlan Stenerson
was arranging for the drugs to be sent to inmates inside his unit. He was charged later that month.
Longtine, who law enforcement discovered had a prescription for Suboxone, is believed to have been the supplier, the statement said. Law enforcement reviewed phone calls between Longtine and Stenerson that included mention of sending items in the mail and when to do so.
Longtine had her initial appearance Tuesday morning, May 14. During the hearing, her bond was set at $5,000.
A preliminary hearing and arraignment are scheduled for 9 a.m. on June 24.
