Mom charged with taking drugs to inmate son, friends

Three inmates and one of the inmates’ mothers were arrested on Tuesday after officials discovered they were allegedly bringing drugs into the Franklin County Jail.

Franklin County inmates Adam Presley, 26, Malcolm Ray Starks, 30, and John B. Hester, IV, 34, all of Russellville, were arrested for promoting prison contraband and conspiracy to commit a controlled substance crime, officials said.

Kathy Presley, 53, of Russellville, was charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance and conspiracy to commit a controlled substance crime.

According to Franklin County Sheriff Shannon Oliver, jail administrator Capt. Mark Swindle and other jail staff received information that Kathy Presley was allegedly bringing drugs into the jail when she was coming to see her son.

Oliver said Swindle and jail officers conducted an investigation and gathered enough information to arrest Kathy Presley and the other three inmates.

Oliver said that more arrests were expected to come from this investigation as well.

“Capt. Swindle and the jail staff did an outstanding job on this investigation to make sure we keep drugs out of the jail,” Oliver said. “Their hard work on this case sends the message that this kind of activity will not be tolerated and you will be charged and arrested if you attempt to bring contraband into our jail.”