CLEARFIELD – An employee of the state prison in Houtzdale has been charged for bringing contraband into the facility.
Neil Johnathan Rudy, 41, who was employed as a food service instructor, was charged by agents of the state Department of Corrections with felony dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities and criminal use of communication facility in connection to his activities at the prison.
During centralized court on Tuesday, the dealing in proceeds charge was withdrawn and he waived the other charge on to the court of common pleas. He is free on $5,000, unsecured bail.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, security at the prison received reports from multiple people concerning Rudy “introducing contraband into the facility.”
One of these informants reported that the operation involved Rudy and a network of multiple inmates.
This allegedly included Rudy supplying a quantity of Suboxone and synthetic cannabinoids or K2 into the prison for $10,500. Initially he was paid $5,000 and the rest would come from the proceeds of the sales.
Reportedly the K2 was “not a good batch” and did not give the desired effect to inmates. Rudy did not receive full payment and then refused to bring in anything else until he was paid in full.
Agents used this issue to make contact with Rudy through a number supplied by an inmate, to “provide” him with the money owed.
Rudy and an agent talked a few times before setting up a meeting for Rudy to receive the funds from the official, posing as a civilian.
On Sept. 20, they reportedly met at a parking lot in Altoona where Rudy was given an envelope with $5,000. After this, other agents blocked his vehicle from leaving and he was taken into custody.
In his interview with investigators, Rudy explained that he was talking about needing money when an inmate agreed to give him money.
After this he knew, he “would have to do a favor for the inmate”. Previously the two had discussed getting Suboxone into the prison.
The deal was for him to provide the drugs once a month, but Rudy wanted it to be “a one-time thing.”
Rudy told the agents he had “introduced 100 strips of Suboxone, wrapped in a blue rubber glove, balloon that he obtained from an individual from State College.” This man was known to him as “Dough”.
He was also given five pages of paper, but he didn’t know what it was, according to the criminal complaint.
