Federal Suit Alleges Contraband Ring at NorCo Jail

In January, 2011, Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli was investigating a black market at Northampton County jail, in which guards and inmates would smuggle in anything and everything for the right price. Unfortunately, that investigation was ruined when the Morning Call, on January 27, 2011, published a story based on a sealed search warrant, which tipped off the suspected corrections officers and inmates. This was bad news for Matthew Farrell. Just a few months later, according to a Complaint filed in federal court last week, those same corrections officers and inmates seriously injured him after he threatened their operation.

Matthew Farrell, a minor drug offender, claims he was ostracized by guards like Ryan Kelly because he refused to participate in their contraband operations. On Easter Sunday 2011, when Kelly was supposed to be protecting Farrell, he instead was seen having a conversation with another inmate, convicted murderer Paul Serrano. Soon after that, Kelly triggered Farrell's cell door to open and then disappeared. Serrano lunged at Farrell with a filed off brush handle, stabbing away until two other inmates pulled him away. No guards could be located until about 5-10 minutes after what certainly appears to have been an attempted murder.

In addition to this assault, Farrell was regularly taunted and intimidated by Ryan. He and another guard, Daniel Piccone, told Farrell they could "make him disappear." Farrell has since been transferred to Bucks County's jail for his own protection, apparently at the request of a federal judge.

Ryan and Piccone are both currently employed at the jail.

This chilling federal complaint, filed by Attorneys Colin Monahan and Joe Welsh, is the latest in several recent prison abuse actions filed against the County. In September, the County paid $200,000 to settle a slashing case brought by an inmate who claims he was assaulted by this very same black market ring. Just last week, the County was sued over a slashing incident involving razors that the jail was providing to inmates. And two weeks ago, a federal complaint was filed over yet another MRSA infection.

Northampton County Executive John Stoffa likes to remind everyone that "[t]hese are not Sunday school students in the prison."

But Ron Angle, when he was a member of Council, questioned whether Stoffa was discussing the inmates or the people running the jail.

In the wake of a glowing report from state inspectors noting no deficiencies at the jail, Stoffa recently named insider Arnie Matos as his Director of Corrections. He started his career as a corrections officer.

I have not spoken to prison officials or County administrators about this lawsuit, assuming that they are unable to discuss it. I would caution readers that this federal complaint's allegations of a contraband ring are as of now unproven.