HUTCHINSON— Four people facing charges of smuggling synthetic marijuana into the Hutchinson Correctional Facility were arraigned in Reno County District Court Thursday.
Zachary Wood, 22, faces single counts of possession of marijuana with intent to sell and possession of codeine with intent to sell along with the original charges, which include three counts of conspiracy, three counts of using a communication device to distribute drugs, one count of drug distribution and one count of trafficking contraband into a correctional facility. He was bound over for trial after his preliminary hearing last month.
The three women arrested in the case, Esther Davis, Denisha Starnes and Stephanie Thindiu, all waived their right to a preliminary hearing and were bound over for trial. All four entered not guilty pleas and their cases will now go to trial.
Wood is accused of using three women to help smuggle K2 into the prison over a period of two months while employed at the prison.