Man back in Louisville jail after Corrections officers say drugs were sewn into his clothing

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Louisville man is back in jail after allegedly sewing drugs into his clothing before a court hearing.

In a release, Metro Corrections says Trey Smith was on home incarceration, but he was in court on Thursday to revoke his parole after he was charged with possessing drugs inside the jail in Aug. 2022.

Corrections officers discovered during a search that Smith had concealed drugs inside the waistband of his pants. Apparently, the waistband had been cut open, the drugs placed inside and then the waistband was sown back together.

"Officers did a fantastic job by recovering these dangerous substances before they could be introduced into the population. We'll never know how many lives were saved, but we do know that this will be an ongoing battle with those who seek to profit by trafficking drugs to the incarcerated population," said Corrections Chief Jerry Collins.

Officers recovered 11 suboxone strips, and two baggies containing suspected methamphetamine. Smith is charged with promoting contraband 1st degree, trafficking in a controlled substance 1st degree, and trafficking in a controlled substance 2nd degree.

Drugs, overdoses and inmate deaths have been a long-running issue at Louisville's jail. A dozen people died in custody in 2022.

The city has paid for two outside consultants to investigate problems at Metro Corrections. Both came back reporting similar issues including staffing, health care practices, drugs and the jail's outdated and dangerous design, among other concerns.

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