Four individuals have been sentenced after pleading guilty for their roles in a major drug smuggling operation at the Bristol County House of Correction and Jail in Dartmouth — described by authorities as the largest employee-involved drug bust in the facility’s history.
The scheme centered on the smuggling of synthetic marijuana (K2 or “spice”) infused into sheets of paper disguised as legal documents. The contraband was intended for inmate Joseph “JD” Housley of Rehoboth, who allegedly distributed the drugs inside the jail.
Sentencings to date:
- Ginger Hook, 46, of New Bedford, the former jail library coordinator, pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy and delivering drugs to a prisoner. On April 20, 2026, she was sentenced to two years of probation. Hook, who had worked at the facility for about 18 months, resigned in July 2025 after being confronted by investigators.
- Bestlee Vazquez, 33, of Somerset, was sentenced on March 13, 2026, to three years in state prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy.
- Axel Hazard, 23, of Rhode Island, received two years of probation on a conspiracy charge on April 27, 2026. fallriverreporter.com
- Brandin Barbosa-Mayo, 31, of New Bedford, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and was sentenced to three years of probation on May 27, 2026.
BCSO photo.…