Clearwater Mom Smuggled Pills into Jail, Cops Say

A Clearwater mother and her daughter are both behind bars after deputies say the two conspired to smuggle prescription pills into the Pinellas County Jail.

Pinellas County deputies began investigating the two on July 22 after receiving a tip they were bringing contraband items into county jail on 49th Street in Clearwater. Over the course of several days, deputies were able to determine that Janelle Albertson, 27, and her mother, Mary Ann Albertson, 53, were involved in a scheme that resulted in prescription pills, such as morphine, Dilaudid and Xanax making it into the jail population.

Janelle Albertson has been an inmate at the jail since June and is awaiting trial for failure to appear on a number of drug-related charges.

Mary Ann is accused of bringing pills into the jail and hiding them in the public bathroom, an email to media from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office stated. Another inmate would pick up the pills while on work detail and deliver them to Janelle in her housing unit. Janelle, deputies said, would then trade each pill for $50 worth of items, such as phone cards and commissary items. She even traded for a pair of Nike shoes, the email said, in addition to using some of the pills for her own consumption.

Deputies say pill deliveries took place at least twice between July 22-31.

On July 31, deputies discovered a hidden cache of pills in a public restroom. Mary Ann Albertson was arrested that same day at her Clearwater home.

Both woman have been charged with introduction of contraband into a county detention facility and conspiracy to introduce contraband into a county detention facility.