A pair of former Mississippi corrections officers will spend three decades behind bars for smuggling drugs into a state-run prison.
Madison and Rankin Counties’ District Attorney John K. Bramlett, Jr., announced Thursday that Somalia Funchess, 30, and Aaliyah Reid, 26, were each sentenced to serve 30 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
Both Funchess and Reid were employed by MDOC and pleaded guilty to charges levied against them. Funchess pleaded guilty to possessing meth with intent to distribute it within the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. Reid pleaded guilty to possessing MDMB-4en-PINACA, also known as “spice,” with intent to distribute it in the same prison.
On September 14, 2024, Funchess and Reid conspired to introduce a substantial quantity of illegal drugs and other contraband into the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. According to investigators, the defendants concealed drugs and carried them into the facility. Reid placed the drugs into a trash bag and delivered it to an MDOC inmate. Correctional officials intercepted the trash bag.
Testing by Mississippi Forensics Laboratory identified the substances as methamphetamine and spice. Funchess admitted that she was paid $500, while Reid admitted that she was paid $400 to bring contraband into the facility.
“Contraband and related criminal activity threaten the security of our facilities, undermine rehabilitation, and hinder successful reentry,” MDOC Corrections Investigation Division Director Steven Maxwell said. “Through strong partnerships with law enforcement agencies and prosecutors, CID will continue to identify, investigate, and hold accountable those who compromise the safety and integrity of Mississippi’s correctional system.”