Authorities are searching for a medical assistant they say tried to smuggle a bag full of drugs and tobacco products into the Fulton County Jail at the start of her shift Saturday.
Deputies said TreQuera Lashell Ford, 24, panicked when she was questioned about a strong smell of marijuana before proceeding through a metal detector at security. She bolted, leaving a bag containing 192 grams of marijuana, 20 grams of suspected crack cocaine, 200 cigarettes and loose tobacco behind, according to the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office.
Ford is wanted on multiple felony drug charges, as well as four felony counts of crossing guard lines of a jail with prohibited items. She is also facing two misdemeanor charges of obstruction and attempting to elude police.
She remained at large Monday.
According to the sheriff’s office, a deputy asked Ford about the odor of drugs when she approached security. She told the deputy she had “smoked marijuana before coming to work,” a spokesperson for the agency said in a news release.
“Before the deputy could scan her belongings through the magnetometer, which is standard protocol for all who enter, the woman insisted that she needed to return to her car,” the spokesperson said. “In a panic, the woman left her items and ran out the door.”
Sheriff Pat Labat said his office has “zero tolerance for anyone attempting to smuggle contraband into the Fulton County Jail.”
“There is an expectation and legal requirement that individuals, who are contractors providing services at the jail, obey the law and work to maintain the safety of the facility and not put others at risk,” the sheriff said. “When someone violates that trust and the law, we are obligated to file criminal charges. I commend that sharp deputy for her good instincts.”
According to an arrest warrant obtained by Channel 2 Action News, Ford was allegedly engaging in conversations with inmates days before leaving the drugs at jail security. She had also posted several images of marijuana on her Instagram, the news station reported.
Credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office
Credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office
Ford was last seen driving a black Nissan Altima with Tennessee tag 75A-R44. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call 911 or submit a tip via the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office app.
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