An additional five suspects are facing felony drug charges after they allegedly smuggled drugs into the Tooele County Detention Center earlier this year.
Nathan Lynn Bergener, 40, of Tooele, is charged with first-degree felony possession with intent to distribute a Class C substance and third-degree felony possession of a Class C substance within a correctional facility.
Billy Mark Anders, 36, of South Salt Lake, and Amber Marie Evans, 36, of Kearns, are both charged with first-degree felony possession with intent to distribute a Class C substance.
Brianna Marie Gallegos, 24, of Salt Lake City, and Dominic Carlos Trujillo, 23, of Kearns, are both charged with three counts of first-degree felony possession with intent to distribute a Class C substance.
Tooele County Sheriff’s corrections deputies were notified of an inmate in pain on July 9, and after being checked by the hospital, the inmate tested positive for methamphetamine, according to a probable cause statement. Several other inmates, including Bergener, tested positive for methamphetamine.
After Tooele County Sheriff’s detectives interviewed the inmates, they determined Anders was getting the drugs into the jail through Bergener, the statement said. Detectives also learned a woman had brought the meth to the detention center and placed it in a lobby restroom.
Bergener was found to have meth in his possession and told police in an interview that he received the drugs through another inmate, according to the statement. He said he received a note in a garbage can from another inmate that said they were bringing in an ounce of meth and an ounce of heroin.
Bergener said the drugs were being brought into the building and deposited in the lobby restroom garbage cans outside the bag for pickup, the statement said. Video footage confirmed Bergener’s account, and showed Anders and another inmate take the garbage can out of sight of the cameras once it was brought into the jail.
Investigators reviewed video surveillance footage and phone calls between Trujillo, Evans and Gallegos in which they allegedly discuss a drop on July 6, according to the probable cause statement.
On Aug. 1, investigators located methamphetamine in the lobby restroom and used video surveillance and phone conversations between Gallegos and Trujillo to determine the drugs had been stashed on July 25, the statement said.
The lobby bathroom was put under surveillance on Aug. 10 after further conversations between Gallegos and Trujillo revealed it would be the date of the next drop, the statement said. On that day, the bathroom was put under surveillance after the bathrooms were checked at 6:30 a.m.
Rosealina Hernandez, 34, entered the restroom with a child, left money on Trujillo’s account and exited the building. The lobby restroom was immediately checked and investigators found 5.6 grams of meth in the garbage can; Hernandez was also arrested and 1.8 grams of meth were found in her possession.
After she was contacted by police, Gallegos admitted to giving a ride to Evans to drop off drugs in July and to paying Hernandez $50 to make the drop on Aug. 10, the probable cause statement said. Gallegos told investigators Trujillo asked her to deposit the meth in the jail and to put money on his account to signal it had been made.
Hernandez, of Salt Lake, was charged with first-degree felony possession with intent to distribute a Class C substance and misdemeanor counts of possession or use of a controlled substance, manufacture or delivery of drug paraphernalia and use or possession of drug paraphernalia on Aug. 13.
Bergener failed to attend his initial appearance in 3rd District Court on Oct. 10 and no follow-up court date appears in court records. Anders, Gallegos, Trujillo and Evans are scheduled to make their initial appearances on Oct. 29 at 10:30 a.m. before Judge Matthew Bates.