Photos: (from top left, clockwise) William Brandon Hall, William Joshua Lewis, Gilbert J. Jesse and Christopher Michael McDaniel
Four Baxter County jail inmates have been charged with multiple additional offenses, following the discovery of the jail’s medication cart being broken into, with prescription medications stolen.
Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery says, about 10 p.m. Thursday, jailers discovered the break-in of the medication cart. The locked cart had been sitting in the booking area of the jail. Jailers found approximately 118 Suboxone medication strips were missing, along with 28 Alprazolam pills.
Video camera footage of the area was reviewed during an investigation. Sheriff Montgomery says the footage shows, at approximately 7:45 Thursday evening, the four inmates handcuffed to a bench they were sitting on in the booking area.
The four are identified as
• 31-year-old William Brandon Hall of rural Mountain Home;
• 35-year-old William Joshua Lewis Jr. of Baxter County;
• 38-year-old Christopher Michael McDaniel of rural Mountain Home; and
• 36-year-old Gilbert M. Jesse of Mountain Home.
On camera playback, investigators see Lewis attempting to use something to remove the handcuff securing him to the bench; but he is unsuccessful. When the jailer working behind the booking desk isn’t looking, Lewis is seen sliding something on the floor to Hall.
Hall picks up the item and uses it to remove the handcuff from his right hand and place it on his left hand. He is observed at least twice more removing his handcuff and positioning his body closer to the medication cart. He is also observed making gestures to Lewis appearing to indicate he is going to forcibly enter the med cart.
Hall continues extending his foot onto the med cart and grabbing the top of it with his hand to see if he is in position to be able to break into it.
When the jailer exits the booking area to return Jesse to his housing pod on the second floor of the jail, Hall is seen on video placing his foot on the med cart and his hand on the top drawer handle.
McDaniel puts his foot on the other side of the medication cart for leverage to assist Hall. With a couple of forceful tugs, the top drawer opens.
Hall grabs a black box containing the prescription medications and puts it down his pants. The medication cart drawer is closed and placed back against the wall, before the jailer returns to the booking area.
A short time later, Hall, Lewis and McDaniel are escorted back to their housing pods.
Early Friday morning, multiple investigators and jailers conduct a shakedown search of the housing areas in question. During a search of the inmates, Jesse was reportedly found with two Suboxone strips concealed in his shoe. Nothing else was found, including the black box.
Montgomery says during an interrogation by investigators, Hall confessed to the crimes and indicated he had used a paperclip to remove the handcuff. He even demonstrated to investigators how he did this. He stated the black box was thrown into the trash bin in the housing unit, but it was not found during a search.
The four inmates have been charged with
• Furnishing, possessing, or using prohibited — felony
Hall, Lewis and Jesse also face charges of
• Breaking or entering (2 counts) – felonies
• Furnishing, possessing or using prohibited articles – felony
• Controlled substance – fraudulent practices – felony
• Possession of Schedule 3 controlled substance with purpose of delivery – felony
• Possession of Schedule 4 controlled substance – misdemeanor; and
• Impairing the operations of a vital public facility.
Hall faces an additional charge of
• Escape in the third degree (3 counts) – felonies
Lewis faces additional charges of
• Assisting in or furnishing an implement for escape – felony; and
• Attempted escape in the third degree – felony
Jesse faces additional charges of
• Theft by receiving – misdemeanor; and
• Possession of Schedule 3 controlled substance -misdemeanor.
Hall and Lewis have bonds of $75,000 each on their charges, while McDaniel’s bond is set at $50,000 and Jesse’s at $25,000.
All will appear in Baxter County Circuit Court to answer to their charges.
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