The Marion County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 58-year-old woman after she was caught smuggling Suboxone and methamphetamine into Lowell Correctional Institution.
On Saturday, December 17, two MCSO deputies responded to the Lowell Correctional Institution located at 11120 NW Gainesville Road in Ocala in reference to an individual who had attempted to smuggle a controlled substance into the prison.
Upon arrival, one of the deputies made contact with the facility’s warden who advised that concealed contraband had been located during a pat-down search of Bennie Jo Dean. The warden stated that Dean was at the facility to visit her incarcerated daughter.
The deputy made contact with the officer who had conducted the search, and the officer advised that Dean was clearly agitated during the process. While searching Dean’s waistline, a bulge was discovered on the right side of her body.
According to the officer, 150 Suboxone strips and a white crystal-like substance were recovered from Dean. The substance later field-tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine. The officer advised that Dean began to cry and stated that she was “only doing this for her daughter.”
The deputy made contact with Dean. After being read her Miranda rights, she advised that she had attempted to smuggle in the Suboxone strips and crystal meth. She told the deputy that she was visiting her daughter who was an inmate at the facility.
Dean claimed that her daughter had convinced her to bring the smuggled items into the facility during her last visit in November. She told the deputy that she was unsure why she agreed to do this and admitted that it was wrong.
Dean was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where she is currently being held on $6,000 bond. She is facing felony charges for smuggling contraband into prison and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription (two counts).
A court date has been scheduled at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, January 17, 2023, according to jail records.