Corrections Officer, Saugerties Woman Charged with Smuggling Drugs into Prison

Two people, including a corrections officer, have been charged with smuggling drugs into the Ulster County Jail.

According to the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office, an investigation revealed that a woman was passing drugs to an Ulster County Sheriff’s Corrections Officer, who then would bring them inside the Ulster County Jail.

On Thursday around 12:50 p.m., corrections personnel saw 38-year-old Dejah L. Babcock of Saugerties pass an object to Corrections Officer Jason Hetrick, 35, in the parking lot of the Law Enforcement Center in the City of Kingston.

When Hetrick was confronted, he was allegedly found to be in in possession of a cigarette pack containing loose tobacco, matches, a small quantity of marijuana and 10 suboxone sublingual strips. Suboxone is a prescription medicine that is used to treat adults who are addicted opioids.

Babock and Hetrick were both charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance and promoting prison contraband, both felonies, as well as misdemeanor charges for promoting prison contraband and criminal possession of a controlled substance. They also both received a violation for unlawful possession of marijuana. In addition, Hetrick was charged with official misconduct, a misdemeanor.

Babcock was taken into custody in the parking lot and Hetrick was taken into custody while entering the facility. Both were processed, arraigned in Kingston City Court and remanded to the Ulster County Jail in lieu of $50,000 cash or $100,000 bond.

The investigation is continuing and additional charges are anticipated.