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LH woman attempts to sneak drugs into state prison

From staff reporters

BELLEFONTE — A Lock Haven woman and two inmates at Rockview state prison — one of them also from Lock Haven — are facing multiple felony charges after allegedly conspiring to bring drugs into SCI Rockview in February.

Estee R. Fritz, 25, of Lock Haven, visited inmate Casey S. Nicodemus, 30, and brought a balloon filled with 47 strips of Suboxone for him to swallow, according to state police at Rockview.

The balloon was reportedly seized by corrections officers before he did so.

Fritz told police that she and Nicodemus were “middle men” and the drugs were to go to another inmate, Ronald R. Shoop Jr., 28, of Lock Haven.

Shoop was recently facing three felony charges — arson, risking a catastrophe, reckless burning or exploding– and one misdemeanor after fleeing the scene of a crash and then finding the vehicle two days later and setting it on fire at Hillside Collision.

Nicodemus told police Shoop propositioned him about drugs Shoop had had on the street.

Nicodemus said Fritz had been given the balloon to bring to the prison, where he intended to consume it, then retrieve it and give to Shoop.

Conversations between Nicodemus and Shoop also allegedly were about getting money to pay for the drugs and getting money to Fritz.

Fritz now faces felony charges of possession with intent to deliver and possession of contraband, as well as matching felony conspiracy charges, and two misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, court documents said. She was arraigned in district court with unsecured bail at $500,000. A preliminary hearing is set for April 11.

Nicodemus and Shoop have also been charged with two felony counts each of conspiracy to deliver and conspiracy to possess contraband, court documents said.

Shoop remains incarcerated at Rockview and Nicodemus has been moved to Lycoming County Prison, Department of Corrections records said.

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