Former jail supervisor charged with trafficking fentanyl appears in court

Apr. 24—A former Morgan County Jail corporal accused of trafficking fentanyl after her home was searched by deputies in March appeared before a district court judge Tuesday who found probable cause to bound the case over to a grand jury.

Deborah Terrell, 42, was on shift at the jail when the Morgan County Sheriff's Office Drug Enforcement Unit searched the home she shares with Lester Bufkin, 44, in the 1800 block of College Street Southeast in Decatur on March 20, according to testimony from Agent Jonathon Wynne.

The investigation into Terrell began after agents said they received information from confidential informants and unnamed jail employees that she brought illegal drugs into the jail between November 2023 and March 2024, according to MCSO.

"That's been the most concerning issue to me from a publicity standpoint," Terrell's attorney, Britt Cauthen, said after the hearing. "They have accused her of doing this, but I don't see that they've got much in the way of evidence along those lines."

A search warrant for Terrell's home was issued by Circuit Judge Jennifer Howell after agents searched Terrell's trash can, in the alley behind her residence, and allegedly found an empty THC gummy pack and a small amount of marijuana.

During the search of the residence, agents seized over 35 grams of fentanyl pills, 3.8 ounces of marijuana, 5.3 grams of amphetamine pills, a firearm and a digital scale, according to court records.

In Judge Shelly Waters' courtroom on Tuesday, Terrell, wearing a black hoodie, sat next to Cauthen as Assistant District Attorney Ben Shiver questioned Wynne.

Wynne told the court that Terrell, a jail supervisor, was in a dating relationship with Bufkin. He said most of the drugs were found in plain view in a bedroom shared by Terrell and Bufkin — the fentanyl pills and firearm were near Bufkin's side of the bed, while the amphetamine pills, identified as Adderall, were near Terrell's.

Terrell did not offer a Mirandized statement upon her arrest, according to Wynne, but wished to give one some days later. Wynne said the statement hadn't been taken.

During cross-examination, Cauthen focused on the allegations that Terrell brought drugs into the jail. "Who gave you that information?" he asked.

"Confidential informants that are confidential and current employees at the jail," Wynne answered.

Cauthen pressed Wynne for the names of the employees amid objections from Shiver. Waters then told Cauthen to meet later with the district attorney to get the names.

Cauthen brought up two specific names and asked whether they gave the info to MCSO.

"I don't know who those people are," Wynne said.

Cauthen, sounding incredulous, asked Wynne how long he'd worked narcotics. Wynne said two years. He said agents conducted surveillance on Terrell's home on two occasions between June and March.

"Did you search the garbage?" Cauthen asked.

"I did," Wynne said.

"Did you have a warrant to search it?"

"No."

"THC packets — what kind of packets?" Cauthen asked.

"Empty packets labeled THC gummies."

"Not Delta-8 or Delta-9?" Cauthen said, hinting at the possibility the products were in compliance with state and federal hemp laws. Wynne said they were the illegal kind.

Terrell briefly spoke to Wynne's supervisor in March and denied having knowledge of narcotics in her home, according to Wynne.

When agents arrived at Bufkin's workplace to arrest him, "the only thing he stated was: 'They're here for me,'" according to Wynne.

"Do y'all generally wear chest cameras when you search?" Cauthen asked.

"Yes and no," Wynne said. "Sometimes we take our vests off."

Wynne said Terrell was brought from jail to her home the day it was searched, and agents then searched Terrell's car, which was left at the jail. No drugs were found in the car, according to Wynne.

"Y'all have cameras in the jail?" Cauthen asked.

"Yes," Wynne said.

"Is there any video evidence that she brought drugs into jail?"

"No."

"Other than 'informants,' do y'all have any evidence linking her to drugs in the jail?"

"No."

"Do you believe she was?"

"I don't know." Wynne said there was no ongoing investigation into drugs at the jail.

At the conclusion of the hearing, Waters bound the case over to a grand jury and kept Terrell's bond conditions as is — both Terrell and Bufkin were released from jail on $11,300 bonds shortly after their arrests.

"I was just kind of curious, for myself, as to whether or not they were actually illegal THC gummies," Cauthen explained after the hearing. "Because, you know, if they're legal THC gummies, would that give you probable cause to search a house? No, it wouldn't."

Cauthen said he'll have to evaluate any potential Fourth Amendment issues — that is, unreasonable search and seizure — once he gets his hands on the evidence.

"You know, a preliminary hearing is not an occasion where you're going to win anything," he said. "Because even if the judge failed to find probable cause, the grand jury can still indict. It's more of an exercise in discovery than anything else.

"I didn't hear much evidence that they actually can prove that she was bringing narcotics into the jail, other than hearsay."

— david.gambino@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2438.