Teen arrested after allegedly trying to sneak drugs and more into Westville Correctional Facility

Halton Duke

LA PORTE COUNTY. Ind. -- Court documents from La Porte County reveal a 19-year-old man was arrested and faces charges related to trying to sneak drugs and more into Westville Correctional Facility on Jan. 20.

The teen, identified as Halton Duke, has been charged with Dealing in Methamphetamine, a Level 2 Felony, and two counts of Trafficking with an Inmate, Level 5 Felonies.

Duke's initial hearing is set for Friday.

Documents state on Jan. 20, around 12:20 a.m., a Shift Supervisor Captain at Westville Correctional Facility observed a man, later identified as Duke, along the fence line behind dorms seven and eight.

The supervisor then witnessed the suspect throw two large bags over the fence near dorms seven and eight.

The supervisor then contacted the warden and other officers.

Authorities say the suspect was then seen running towards the outer fence line before he then pulled the fence until the lower portion bent up so he could crawl under it.

The La Porte County Sherriff's Office was then contacted and dispatched to the area.

Authorities then followed Duke's footprints until they found him hiding behind the smoke shop on US 421.

Duke was then taken into custody. The two large bags, a duffle bag and a net backpack, were both retrieved by law enforcement.

A pair of bolt cutters were also retrieved alongside the bags.

The contents of the duffle bag included:

  • 31 individual bags of brown leafy substance
  • Two 16 oz bags of Gambler tobacco
  • 16 oz bag of Good Stuff tobacco
  • Small container with brown waxlike substance
  • Five SIM card kits
  • 14 cellular devices
  • Four vape cartridges (nicotine)
  • Red Lighter
  • Bag containing orange gummies
  • Bag containing green gummies
  • Barber kit (combs, guards, electric shaving tool)
  • 10 pack of black ankle socks
  • Six pack of black male boxer briefs  
  • Two six-piece screwdriver sets
  • Bottle of Castor Oil with Biotin and Collagen
  • Jar of "Baby Don't Be Bald" scalp cream.
  • Six packs of TOPPS rolling paper (600)
  • Three cell phone charging cords
  • Six cell phone charger adapters
  • One set of headphones

The contents of the net backpack included:

  • 16 oz bag of Gambler tobacco
  • 16 oz bag of TOPPS tobacco
  • 13 cellular devices
  • Seven individual bags containing green leafy substance, suspected to be marijuana.
  • Two full sheets of paper that appear to have been saturated in an unknown substance
  • 32 individual bags of brown leafy substance, suspected to be tobacco.
  • Eight tubes of super glue
  • Six-piece screwdriver set
  • Four packs of TOPPS rolling papers (400)
  • bottle of acetone
  • Five vape cartridges (nicotine)
  • Two lighters
  • Six Reebok tank tops
  • Two SIM card kits
  • Three sets of headphones.

Authorities say the orange and green gummies field-tested positive for THC (139.6 grams), and the brown wax-like substance field-tested positive for meth (38.1 grams).

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