A Rochester attorney accused of trying to bring cellphones, suspected marijuana and tobacco into an Ohio prison had been arrested on unrelated theft charges in Seneca County six days earlier.
Ivy Collins-Harris, 37, was arrested in the town of Tyre on Sept. 16. On Sept. 22, security officers stopped her at the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center in Youngstown, where federal investigators allege she was carrying contraband for inmates.
Collins-Harris identified herself as an attorney for two inmates, though she did not represent either of them, according to a federal affidavit. Officers stopped her at a security checkpoint before she entered the prison.
Investigators said they found vacuum-sealed packages containing tobacco and suspected marijuana in an accordion folder, along with more tobacco concealed in her purse. The affidavit lists approximately 57 grams of suspected marijuana and 1,090 grams of tobacco.
Officers also found eight iPhones and multiple chargers inside two laptops whose internal components had been removed, according to the affidavit. A search of Collins-Harris’ vehicle turned up another phone.
Collins-Harris was charged with attempting to provide contraband in prison and released on $20,000 bond. A filing Thursday asked the court to revoke her release and issue an emergency arrest warrant after she failed to report to pretrial services. The material provided does not establish whether the court granted that request.
The Seneca County Sheriff’s Office said Collins-Harris was charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property after allegedly taking someone else’s belongings at a business in Tyre. She later turned herself in and was released on an appearance ticket.
FingerLakes1 reported the Tyre arrest Sept. 17. Collins-Harris is scheduled to appear in Tyre Town Court on Oct. 14, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
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