Fayette County Inmates Accused Of Trying To Smuggle Drugs In With Improvised 'Fishing Pole Device'
UNIONTOWN, Pa. (KDKA) - Fayette County's district attorney announced indictments Friday against 47 people. The charges range from stealing from the public to drug possession.
But one of the more interesting cases involves two brothers and an inmate, accused of using novel means to try to smuggle drugs into the county prison.
The three men were involved in what can best be described as a fishing expedition, but all they managed to catch are felony charges.
Of the stack of criminal complaints featured during Friday's press conference, the ones against brothers Cody and Woodrow Hanan and inmate Bart Yagla were unique. All three face felony counts of trying to smuggle drugs into the lock-up in an illegal but creative way.
"Inmate Bart Yagla basically used paper he wound up together along with string to in essence create a fishing pole device," said Uniontown police Chief Jason Cox.
Authorities say Yagla was looking to hook a trophy catch, his fishing tackle improvised with what he had at hand.
"He used this fishing pole device with the string and lowered it out the window of the jail. He actually used batteries as an anchor," said Cox.
Uniontown police say helping out with the alleged haul were brothers Cody Hanan and Woodrow Hanan.
According to investigators, Woodrow Hanan was on the phone with his brother Cody, who was outside with alleged suboxone and fentanyl.
"Cody was instructed by his brother Woodrow, also an inmate, where to go to find the fishing lure, if you will, that was the batteries," said Cox.
According to the criminal complaint, what followed was a near comedic attempt by Woodrow Hanan to direct his brother to where the fishing lure was hanging out a second story window.
"He did find and taped straws to the batteries that contained both fentanyl and suboxone," said Cox.
Officials say Bart Yagla reeled in the catch but what the three men didn't know was that the entire event was being watched by jail officials -- and they got caught hook, line and sinker.
Yagla and Woodrow Hanan were already in jail. They are now joined by Cody Hanan. All three face drug and contraband charges.
