BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ, Ky. — A 63-year-old Virginia woman is facing criminal charges after her indictment Thursday in Martin County for allegedly smuggling drugs into the U.S. Penitentiary Big Sandy in Debord.

The grand jury charged Irene A. Looney of Pounding Mill, Virginia, with second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (over 20 dosage units), promoting contraband in the first degree, and possession or use of drug paraphernalia.

According to the indictment, Looney was caught Sept. 9 with 59 dosage units of Suboxone, which she attempted to smuggle into the federal prison using a balloon apparatus, a method typically employed for internally distributing contraband and other substances.

The court set Looney’s bail at $10,000 pending further legal proceedings.