NORTHAMPTON — Four Vermonters have been indicted on charges that they conspired to smuggle drugs into the Hampshire County Jail and House of Corrections last winter.
Corey Laplaca, 35, was indicted Friday on charges of conspiracy, conspiracy to violate the controlled substance laws and possession of a drug with intent to deliver to a prisoner or prisoners.
Kevin Laplaca, 33, was indicted on charges of possession of oxycodone with intent to distribute, conspiracy, conspiracy to violate the controlled substance laws and possession of a drug with intent to deliver to a prisoner or prisoners.
Helen Laplaca was indicted on conspiracy to violate the controlled substance laws, conspiracy, possession of heroin with intent to distribute and distribution of a class B substance, oxycodone.
Jamie Smith, 36, was indicted on possession of heroin with intent to distribute, conspiracy, conspiracy to violate the controlled substance laws and distribution of a class B substance, oxycodone.
The four have not yet been arraigned on the indictments the Hampshire Superior Court grand jury handed up. The alleged incidents occurred between Feb. 16 and March 13, 2017, according to the indictments. It was not immediately known how or if the Laplacas are related. All four defendants are from Wilder, Vermont.
Smith pleaded not guilty to similar charges in Northampton District Court in March. As part of that case, authorities had listened to a series of “encrypted” phone calls between Smith and her incarcerated boyfriend, Kevin Laplaca, and authorities said the two devised a plan for Smith to smuggle heroin into the jail, according to Northampton District Court documents.
Both Corey Laplaca and Kevin Laplaca were serving six-month sentences in the jail at the time of the alleged incidents, according to court records.
Emily Cutts can be reached at ecutts@gazettenet.com.