Several arrests made for drug smuggling at Merced County jail, deputies say

Merced County Sheriff’s investigators have made five arrests after narcotics were recently discovered at the John Latorraca Correctional Center.

According to a news release, a deputy and the Supervised Release Team were conducting routine searches with K-9 dog “Marley” at the facility.

The dog alerted the deputy to narcotics associated with four incarcerated men: Raymond Loewen, Daiquan Kelly, Cartlon Tolber and Bart Smith.

During the investigation Sarah Smith, 35, of Merced, was identified as a suspect accused of sending narcotics to the inmates through the mail.

Another suspect identified as Shawn Bristow is accused of supplying Smith with the narcotics. Both Smith and Bristow were arrested.

Three of the incarcerated men have been charged with additional crimes like smuggling controlled substances into a jail, conspiracy to commit a crime and possession of drugs where prisoners are kept.

One of the four incarcerated men had been transferred to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and will face charges filed by the District Attorney’s office, the release said.

The mail will also undergo additional testing at a Department of Justice lab to determine whether those involved will face additional charges.

This story was originally published April 19, 2022 at 12:07 PM.