A woman arrested after skipping hearings in a 2019 DUI case is charged with trying to smuggle anxiety and Oxycontin pills into the the Westmoreland County Prison, according to county detectives.
Julie Lea Thomas, 22, of Connellsville overdosed Jan. 21 after being placed in an intake holding cell as she was processed at the jail in Hempfield, Detective James Williams reported. Thomas had been patted down by guards before being placed in a cell to change into prison fatigues and before undergoing a more extensive search, he said.
Thomas, who also recently lived in New Stanton, had to be revived by prison staff with Narcan, which is used to revive people overdosing on opioids, Williams said.
As Mutual Aid paramedics were moving Thomas to the ambulance to be taken to Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg, Williams said EMTs noticed two clear plastic bags fall from her prison-issued pants.
One bag contained 56 anxiety pills and another contained 72 Oxycontin pills, Williams said.
After discussing the case with Det. Anthony Marcocci, who has prosecuted drug-related cases locally for more than 40 years, both determined “the amount of drugs found on (Thomas) indicated it was more for delivery than just mere personal possession,” according to court documents.
Thomas is charged with one felony count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and two felony counts of illegal possession of controlled substances.
In addition to the DUI case filed in 2019, by Greensburg Police, Thomas also is awaiting a trial date on harassment, robbery and theft charges filed by state police. They claim she assaulted an employee at the Greengate Centre Walmart store in Hempfield after being stopped for trying to leave without paying for more than $3,200 worth of merchandise in 2019.
District Judge Mark Mansour remanded Thomas to the county prison on Tuesday after she failed to post $25,000 bond in the most recent case.
