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2 of 3 who smuggled drugs into jail are sent to state prison

Two of the three women involved in a conspiracy to smuggle drugs into the Warren County Jail were sent to state prison on Thursday.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, Sara Michelle Lang was an inmate at the Warren County Jail in November of 2017 when she was recorded on a jail telephone asking Nicole Pascuzzo to leave suboxone in the restroom inside the jail lobby during her upcoming visit with Lang.

On Nov. 12, according to court documents, Pascuzzo was seen entering and then leaving the restroom while trustee Maurita Lynn Shaver, whom Lang had asked to retrieve the contraband, was subsequently seen entering and leaving the same restroom during her cleaning duties.

The whole saga unfolded again.

Police allege that Lang again placed calls to Pascuzzo using a recorded line, asking Pascuzzo to bring contraband along with her on an upcoming visit, and to leave it in the same place.

On November 19, the affidavit states, Pascuzzo was again seen entering and leaving the restroom after visiting Lang.

This time jail staff retrieved “a folded up piece of clear plastic containing one folded Suboxone strip,” from the restroom after Pascuzzo had left.

A decoy was placed in the restroom which Shaver later retrieved, the affidavit states. After completing her cleaning duties, staff again checked the restroom to find the decoy missing, at which point Shaver was asked whether she was holding any contraband.

According to the affidavit, Shaver told jail staff that she was holding contraband and produced the decoy, telling staff that Lang had asked her to retrieve it for her.

Shaver was sentenced in April to 12-36 months in state prison.

Lang and Pascuzzo were sentenced on Thursday.

Chief Public Defender John Parroccini, representing Lane, said that she “acknowledges this is an SCI (state correctional institute) offense.”

But he likened her time in state prison to that “of a violent offender,” noting that Lang’s prior record is tied to her drug addiction.

District Attorney Rob Greene described Lang’s prior record, though, as “dismal” and said she “never seems to get it.”

Greene called Lang the “ringleader” of this effort.

“This kind of behavior absolutely cannot be tolerated,” he said.

Lang declined to comment when given the opportunity.

“You employed, really, two other people… to serve your purposes,” Skerda told Lang. “The court finds this behavior can’t be tolerated.”

Elizabeth Feronti, representing Pascuzzo, said that her client took responsibility for her involvement early on and does recognize the seriousness of the crime.

She said bad choices and a bad relationship brought Pascuzzo to Warren County in addition to addiction issues.

“That’s what led her here,” Feronti said, indicating she hopes to obtain treatment while in state prison.

Greene acknowledged that Pascuzzo was not the most culpable but was “a close second.”

Pascuzzo told the court she doesn’t “have any excuse. (I) was in my addiction.”

Lang was sentenced to 30 months to 10 years in state prison, $2,625 in fines and fees, a six-month license suspension and submission of a DNA sample on a count of contraband/controlled substance.

She is boot camp and recidivism risk reduction incentive eligible.

A count of possession of a controlled substance merged for sentencing except for a six-month license suspension and she was sentenced to 18 months to 36 months incarceration on a count of criminal use of a communications facility.

This sentence, Skerda ordered, is to be served consecutively to another state sentence Lang is currently serving.

Pascuzzo was sentenced to 21 to 60 months incarceration, $2,775 in fines and fees, submission of a DNA sample and to undergo a drug and alcohol evaluation and any recommended treatment.

She is boot camp and RRRI eligible, as well, and also was sentenced to the same six-month license suspension on the charge that otherwise merges.

On a count of criminal use of a communications facility, she was sentenced to 16 to 60 months in state prison.

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