UPDATE: Brianna Ayers was arrested later Tuesday in Lewiston and taken to Androscoggin County Jail.

Original post:

The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency said six people have been charged with smuggling drugs into Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset. Charged are:

Alexander Laurelez, 23, of Topsham, Aggravated Furnishing of Schedule W Drugs, Class B (Suboxone & LSD) Trafficking in Prison Contraband, Class C Female juvenile, 17, of Topsham, Unlawful Furnishing of Schedule W Drugs, Class C (Suboxone & LSD) Trafficking in Prison Contraband Class C Kyle Brady, 19, of Topsham, Aggravated Furnishing of Schedule W Drugs, Class B (Suboxone & LSD) Trafficking in Prison Contraband, Class C George Markos, 29, of Bath, Unlawful Furnishing of Schedule W Drugs, Class C (Suboxone & LSD) Trafficking in Prison Contraband, Class C Devin Leonard, 26, of Wiscasset, Aggravated Furnishing of Schedule W Drugs, Class B (Suboxone & LSD) Trafficking in Prison Contraband, Class C Brianna Ayers, 23, of Lewiston, Unlawful Furnishing of Schedule W Drugs, Class C (Suboxone & LSD) Trafficking in Prison Contraband, Class C.

Beginning in January, agents from the Mid-Coast District Task Force and investigators at TBRJ began investigating the smuggling of drugs into the jail. The investigation focused on Laurelez who had allegedly enlisted the help of the 17-year-old and Kyle Brady to, allegedly, send him Suboxone and LSD to him through the mail while he was an inmate at the jail. Authorities allege Laurelez instructed the two to hide the drugs between pieces of paper inside an envelope marked as “Legal Correspondence” and addressed and mailed to fellow inmate George Markos. The envelopes had a return address of a Maine law firm to give the appearance it contained legal papers in alleged attempt to avoid jail authorities from opening the letters. The law firm had no knowledge of or involvement in the scheme.

The investigation also revealed that fellow inmate Devin Leonard allegedly coordinated with Laurelez to have suboxone smuggled in to him. Authorities allege Leonard had his girlfriend Briana Ayers mail Suboxone to the teenager involved, who then allegedly mailed off the letters to the jail. On Feb. 27, jail investigators intercepted an envelope to the jail addressed to Markos, containing 17 Suboxone strips and three tabs of LSD. On April 20, Laurelez, who had been released from the jail, was re-arrested in Topsham and transported back to TBRJ. Bail was set at $10,000 cash.

The juvenile was charged and released to her parents in Topsham. Leonard was charged at Androscoggin County Jail where he was being held on unrelated charges. Bail was set at $5,000 cash. Brady was charged at Cumberland County Jail where he is being held on a probation hold. No bail was set. Markos was charged at Two Bridges where he is still an inmate on a probation violation. No bail was set.

Ayers had been in contact with agents on her charges but failed to turn herself in. An arrest warrant has been issued for her. In addition to representatives from the jail, Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office and Topsham Police assisted in the case.

Suboxone is a prescription medicine that contains the active ingredients buprenorphine and naloxone. It is used to treat adults dependent on opioids.