FRESNO, California — Jermen Rudd III, a 39-year-old from Wentzville, Missouri, was sentenced to over six years in prison for his involvement in a narcotics conspiracy at a federal prison, according to U.S. Attorney Eric Grant.
Rudd was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kirk E. Sherriff for conspiracy to distribute narcotics and introducing a controlled substance into prison, following an investigation into the death of a Supervisory Correctional Systems Specialist at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atwater. Between July 15, 2024, and August 9, 2024, Rudd conspired with Jamar Jones, a 37-year-old inmate at USP Atwater, and Stephanie Ferreira, a 37-year-old from Evansville, Indiana, to introduce narcotics into the prison for Jones to sell, according to court documents.
As part of the scheme, Rudd mailed a letter laced with synthetic cannabinoids, known as “Spice,” to Jones, fraudulently labeled as legal mail. On August 9, 2024, two correctional officers opened the letter and fell ill shortly after. The Supervisory Correctional Systems Specialist was hospitalized and later died, while the other officer recovered…