A guard on perimeter patrol spotted something strange between two fences at Greene Correctional. What he found triggered a massive contraband search that turned up cell phones, drugs, weapons, and gallons of homemade alcohol.
The search, carried out over two days at the medium-security facility in Coxsackie, started when an officer discovered two blue coffee cans filled with illegal items early on August 21.
Coffee cans full of ecstasy and phones
Inside the cans: two cell phones with chargers, earbuds, 233 grams of marijuana, tobacco, cigars, air freshener spray, and more than 4,000 pills that tested positive for ecstasy. Officials believe someone tried — and failed — to throw the cans over the second fence.
That discovery kicked off a facility-wide sweep. Officers, assisted by K9 units, searched four dorms, pat-frisked inmates, and checked multiple inmate “cubes.” They found over 500 grams of suspected marijuana hidden in dryer vents, wall holes, and sink rooms.
Weapons and tattoo guns uncovered
Along with drugs, staff recovered six makeshift weapons — including sharpened can tops, ceramic blades, and a sock stuffed with a lock. In one cell, officers found two tattoo guns.
Searches continued the next day in two more dorm buildings. More green leafy substances were found in laundry bags, behind divider walls, and even wrapped in toilet paper. A ceramic blade was also recovered from a sink room.
Officers also seized 14 gallons of homemade alcohol hidden in five different cubes.
‘An ongoing battle’
All contraband was taken as evidence. Inmates caught with the items face internal discipline.
Joe Horacek, NYSCOPBA Mid-Hudson Region Vice President, said the seizures show just how serious the problem remains — even with new security tools like mail scanning in place.
“The magnitude of the seizures cannot be understated,” Horacek said. “This will always be an ongoing battle as inmates continue to be creative in how they get contraband into prisons.”
He praised staff for their work in “removing a significant number of drugs, weapons, and other dangerous contraband from the facility.”
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].