Football thrown over fence at state prison

Christen Deon-Sterling Moore, 22, who is accused of attempting to throw a football stuffed with drugs and cell phones over a fence at G. Robert Cotton Correctional Facility was arraigned on three charges Tuesday.

(Courtesy of Michigan Department of Corrections)

Christen Deon-Sterling Moore

JACKSON, MI – A Detroit man who police believe attempted to throw a football containing drugs and cell phones to inmates over a fence at a Jackson prison Sunday, June 15, has been arraigned on three charges.

Christen Deon-Sterling Moore, 22, was arraigned in front of Jackson County District Judge Joseph Filip on Tuesday, June 17, on two counts of furnishing contraband to a prisoner in prison and one count of furnishing a cell phone to a prisoner.

Michigan State Police Detective Trooper Toby Baker said Moore was seen throwing a football over a fence at the G. Robert Cotton Correctional Facility on Sunday morning by Michigan Department of Corrections officers. The football landed between two rows of fences and did not reach any inmates.

"Inside the football was marijuana, suspected heroin and cell phones," Baker said. "There were three cell phones."

Michigan Department of Corrections spokesman Russ Marlan said the incident occurred at 9:30 a.m. Sunday morning. He said attempts to sneak contraband by catapulting them over a fence are less common at G. Robert Cotton Correctional Facility than at prisons that are closer to high-traffic areas.

"At the Cotton facility you really have to drive back into the driveway," Marlan said. "It happens more frequently at our prisons that are adjacent to city streets or roads."

When contraband is taped to or stuffed inside an object it is referred to as a 'football' but in this case the contraband was concealed inside of one, Marlan said.

"We do refer to them as footballs ... in this case it literally was a football," Marlan said. "It is less frequent that they actually take a football and cut it up and put stuff in there."

Marlan said officers were able to detain Moore, who has been lodged at the Jackson County Jail.

Filip set a cash/surety bond of $50,000 for Moore.

A preliminary examination for Moore has been scheduled for June 30.