Chicago Man Indicted for Possession of Drug-Soaked Paper While in Custody at Cook County Jail

COOK COUNTY, IL - A Chicago man being held in custody at the Cook County Jail for felony weapons possession and possession of a stolen vehicle has been indicted by a Cook County Grand Jury after Sheriff's Office investigators found dozens of pieces of drug-soaked paper hidden in his pants, Sheriff Thomas J. Dart announced today.

On May 28, a Sheriff's Correctional Sergeant conducted a routine pat-down search of 22-year-old Keon Brown. During the search the Sergeant found 14 homemade envelopes, each containing two strips of suspected drug-soaked paper, hidden in a glove inside his DOC uniform pants.

The strips were sent to the Illinois State Crime Lab for analysis, and test results showed the papers were positive for synthetic cannabinoids.

On Tuesday, a Cook County Grand Jury indicted Brown on one count of Unlawful Possession of Contraband in a Penal Institution, a Class 1 felony. Brown has been in custody since October 2023 on for unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a stolen motor vehicle.

The proliferation of dangerous drug-soaked paper has become a growing concern for correctional facilities across the country, including the Cook County Jail.

Brown is the 38th individual charged in connection with possessing or smuggling drug-soaked paper into the jail so far this year, and the Sheriff's Office continues to aggressively pursue criminal charges against anyone attempting to introduce these dangerous substances into the jail.

The public is reminded that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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