A Fresno man is accused of throwing greater than three kilos of methamphetamine right into a federal jail’s recreation yard in broad daylight — a case that might land him behind bars for up 20 years.
Garrett Scott Wheelen, 33, was indicted Thursday within the Japanese District of California for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The fees observe a Could 1 incident at a medium-security jail in Mendota, about 35 miles west of Fresno.
In accordance with a legal criticism, Wheelen arrived on the jail sporting a inexperienced baseball cap, face masks and black hoodie. His look caught the eye of the workers and he ignored one officer’s instructions to cease shifting, the criticism mentioned.
Wheelen ran from the northwestern finish of the parking zone towards the ability’s recreation yard, prosecutors allege, and threw 4 white packages over the fence and into the yard.
Officers chased Wheelen as he fled from the ability, catching him after he obtained caught in a muddy space. Bureau of Prisons workers recognized Wheelen as a former FCI Mendota inmate.
The packages, which have been recovered by jail officers, contained three kilos and three ounces of methamphetamine and one and a half kilos of tobacco, authorities mentioned.
Mendota inmates who have been close to the packages have been ordered to instantly go away the yard and searched, prosecutors mentioned, and no contraband was recovered.
Federal courtroom data present Wheelen pleaded responsible in 2021 to possession of stolen mail and mail fraud. He obtained a two-year sentence and was on supervised launch on the time of his latest arrest.
Court docket data present Wheelen denied the most recent costs towards him at a Could 21 listening to. His lawyer didn’t reply to a request for remark.
