Ridley Park Woman Hides Fentanyl in Body Cavity While in Prison to Serve Her Sentence for Drug-Related Crimes.  New Charges Pending

Media, Delaware County, PA — On Friday, Delaware County DA Katayoun Copeland announced the arrest of a Ridley Park woman whom allegedly attempted to smuggle Fentanyl into the George Hill Correctional Facility.  The woman was reported to the jail to serve a 48 hours weekend sentence stemming from an accident and related drug charges. The drugs were found by female correctional officers while performing a cavity search on the new prisoner.

Emily Mei Lia Dougherty, 25, of the 1000 block of Haverford Road in Ridley Park, is facing one count possession of contraband – fentanyl, a felony of the second degree as well as one count of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, both of which are misdemeanors. Bail is set at $25,000 of which she needs 10% or $2500 of that amount to meet the bail requirements.

According to official affidavits,  prison officials were tipped off that Dougherty had illegal contraband and she was removed from her cell.  Female correctional officers performed a search on the prisoner and found that Dougherty had concealed multiple glassine bags containing a suspected control substance in her vagina.

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Prison investigators sent the suspected drugs to the Pennsylvania State police lab in Harrisburg for analysis.  That analysis was returned, and the contraband was classified as Fentanyl, a powerful opioid drug used in the treatment of severe pain.

Dougherty is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on May 30 in front of Magisterial District Judge Wendy B. Roberts.  She is Currently being held at the George Hill correctional facility as she was unable to post bail.

“Bringing drugs into a correctional facility is extremely dangerous and puts the safety of corrections officers, staff, inmates and community members at risk,” said Delaware County District Attorney Katayoun M. Copeland.

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