COMMISSIONAIRE PLEADS GUILTY TO DRUG TRAFFICKING

Inside Bowden Institution marijuana is worth more than its weight in
gold and silver combined.

Red Deer provincial court Judge Thomas Schollie heard Friday that
about 115 grams of marijuana would fetch about $1,000 on the street.
Inside the medium-security penitentiary, that amount of grass would
bring in about $37,000, federal Crown prosecutor Dave Inglis told court.

Inglis was reading the facts about the case of Angela Lynn Griffiths,
32, who pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana for the purpose of
trafficking.

Griffiths, who was working for the Corps of Commissionaires at the
time of her arrest, will be sentenced March 17 following a
pre-sentence report.

Inglis told court Griffiths was caught smuggling the grass into the
prison on April 8. He said prison officials received information
Griffiths was bringing the grass into the prison and set up a search
when she reported to work that morning.

An RCMP-trained dope sniffing dog and a special scanner were
employed.

When she was met at the gate by officers, she confessed she had grass
in her vehicle. A search also revealed she had about 55 grams of grass
concealed in her lunch kit.

About 60 grams was discovered in her vehicle.

Inglis said authorities suspected Griffiths was approached by inmates
about two weeks earlier while she escorted contractors into the jail
to perform some work.

The prosecutor said she was approached by an inmate while she waited
for the workers as she sat figuring out a crossword puzzle.

She met a man at a nearby Innisfail fast food outlet where he supplied
her with the drugs.

Prison officials said earlier drug smuggling puts not only prison
staff at risk but also endangers other inmates.

Assistant warden Rita Wehrle said earlier drug smuggling "adds fuel to
the fire in here" and it "could have caused some serious damage."