Arrests made in connection to jail contraband
An alleged attempt to get contraband to inmates at the DeKalb County Jail was averted on May 3, according to officials from the jail who said a man standing outside the facility was caught “holding the bag,” near a rope dangling from a cell window.
According to reports from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy confronted 58-year-old Mark Lumpkin as he stood near the building holding a black bag. A news release states that Lumpkin informed authorities that he had agreed to participate in a “drop” for a fee and was driven to the jail by a woman identified as 59-year-old LaToya Plunkett of Stone Mountain.
Officials from DeKalb County Sherriff’s office said the term “drop” refers to an unlawful process in which inmates drop a rope from a broken cell window and hoist a bag containing contraband items from someone on the outside the building.
The confiscated bag was searched and allegedly contained packs of cigarettes, cell phone and chargers, cigarette papers, a bottle of liquor, and an orange.
Lumpkin, who did not provide a home address, was charged with crossing the state/county guard line with weapons, intoxicants, drugs without consent, and criminal trespass. The news release states that Lumpkin was taken into the DeKalb County Jail, where he is being held on a $4,000 bond.
The news release also states that warrants were issued for Plunkett and deputies arrested her at her home on May 4 without incident. Plunkett is charged with conspiracy to commit a felony and was transported to the DeKalb County Jail, where she is being held on a $10,000 bond.
In 2022, officials from DeKalb County Jail created the “Eyes in the Sky” program to investigate the “growing problem of contraband at the DeKalb County Jail,” according to past reports. Several arrests and confiscations have been made since the program was implemented. Jail officials have also held several unscheduled contraband sweeps and have arrested several people for attempting to smuggle contraband into the jail since 2022.
