Westmoreland County inmate, girlfriend accused in jailhouse drug smuggling scheme

Fearful that guards would find drugs hidden in his mail, a Westmoreland County Prison inmate asked someone in another jail cell to stash a pile of stamped envelopes — only to have that inmate share his secret with authorities, according to new criminal charges against a Greensburg man and his girlfriend.

Court documents were filed after a three-month investigation of Hugh J. Hawkey Jr., 44, and Jennifer L. Loskey, also 44, of New Stanton, who is accused of concealing doses of Suboxone beneath postage stamps that Hawkey would sell inside the Hempfield lockup, according to those documents.

In September, an inmate tipped off prison Lt. Brad Tomasello that Hawkey was receiving drugs through his mail, investigators reported. The inmate learned of the alleged smuggling operation after Hawkey asked him to temporarily hold some of mail. Hawkey feared “his cell was going to be shaken down” by suspicious prison officials, court documents state.

During a search, Tomasello secured envelopes that had Hawkey’s name and prison address on them and Loskey’s return address. Tomasello and county Det. James Williams allege in court documents that Loskey concealed Suboxone doses beneath stamps attached to envelopes.

Suboxone is a prescription drug used to treat opioid addiction. It comes in the form of a paper-thin, dissolvable strip.

“Holding the letter up to a light you can see a piece of paper located under the stamp in the envelope,” Williams said.

The day after Thanksgiving, the state police forensics lab confirmed the paper beneath the stamps was Suboxone.

Hawkey has been in jail since June on drug-related charges filed by Greensburg police. A judge in September sentenced him to a year in prison after Hawkey pleaded guilty to possession of drug paraphernalia.

As part of the investigation, prison officials listened to phone calls between Hawkey and Loskey. In one conversation, Tomasello reported that “Hawkey told Loskey he made $80 on the (recent) piece she sent in and she should send a bigger piece next time.”

Soon after, another letter arrived from Loskey that had “a noticeably larger” John F. Kennedy stamp with suspected Suboxone hidden beneath it, Williams said.

Inmates attempting to smuggle contraband through the mail “is really nothing new,” Warden John Walton said Monday. Most of the smuggling to inmates involved Suboxone and or letters dipped in liquid forms of the powerful synthetic marijuana K2.

“That’s why we no longer allow the inmates to handle the letters or envelopes they receive. Everything is now photocopied and forwarded,” Walton said.

Even legal documents sent by inmates’ attorneys is examined, Walton said. He personally calls attorneys to verify they mailed something to an inmate.

“This happened because there were some cases in some other counties where family members of inmates were stealing letters from magistrates’ offices or attorneys and trying to smuggle contraband in it, claiming it contained official legal documents. We try our best to keep up to date, but some of these inmates try, try and try to beat the system,” Walton said.

Hawkey and Loskey are both charged with possession of a controlled substance, criminal conspiracy and criminal attempt to distribute a controlled substance.

Loskey was arraigned Friday before Hempfield District Judge Mark Mansour and released on recognizance bond pending a preliminary hearing Dec. 20. She could not be reached for comment and did not have an attorney listed in court documents.

Mansour set Hawkey’s bail at $25,000 cash pending the preliminary hearing. Hawkey’s attorney on his recent drug paraphernalia conviction, public defender John Hauser, could not be reached for comment.