The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

November 17, 2009

UPDATE: Woman accused of slipping inmate drugs in her kiss

By Matt Snyder

MERCER COUNTY — Two guards at the State Correctional Institution at Mercer thought they caught something criminal in a long kiss between an inmate and visitor. They had to wait three days, but they got their evidence in the end.

On Oct. 19, the guards spotted inmate Otis McKinzie sharing a long kiss with Michele Dionne Jordan, 41, of 633 Darr Ave., Farrell, state police said. Afterward, McKinzie appeared to tilt his head back and swallow something.

They asked McKinzie if he swallowed something, but since the inmate wouldn’t say, McKinzie was put in a “dry cell” and so his feces could be checked, police said.

The evidence passed Oct. 22, when authorities at the prison in Findley Township found a balloon filled with marijuana in McKinzie’s feces, police said. McKinzie admitted he obtained the balloon from Ms. Jordan when she kissed him during their visit.

Later the same day, police said, McKinzie denied knowing anything about the marijuana until he felt something enter his mouth during the kiss. He said they were “nickel bags” of marijuana.

Police said they found about 6.6 grams of marijuana in balloons while sorting through McKinzie’s bodily waste.

The next day, Ms. Jordan initially denied knowing about the marijuana, but later admitted that she passed it to him. She said she hid it in her bra, went to the restroom to transfer the balloons to her mouth, and kissed McKinzie to pass the drugs.

She said a girl from Pittsburgh had given her the marijuana to move along to McKinzie.

Ms. Jordan had charges of contraband and possession of a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia held to court this week by District Judge Lorinda L. Hinch, Mercer.

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