Inmate removed baggie from butt, swallowed it during search at Lake County Jail, sheriff says

Sheriff’s officials said a Round Lake man removed a baggie, containing an unknown substance, from his buttocks and swallowed it during a search at the Lake County Jail.

Tony Howard, 33, of the 400 block of Sweet Clover Road in Round Lake, was arrested late Wednesday evening on a failure to appear arrest warrant for criminal trespass to residence.

Howard was then transported to the Lake County Jail around 1 a.m. Thursday and correctional officers began conducting a secondary search on Howard, Lake County Sheriff Spokesman Sgt. Christopher Covelli said.

During the secondary search, correctional officers found Howard to be hiding a small baggie, containing an unknown substance, wedged in between his buttocks, Covelli said.

Howard was told by correctional officers to turn the baggie over. Instead, the man removed the baggie from his buttocks and swallowed it.

Because police did not know what was in the baggie, paramedics were called and Howard was transported to Vista East Medical Center in Waukegan for evaluation. After being evaluated, the man was released back into custody at the Lake County Jail.

Howard was charged by sheriff’s detectives with one count of obstructing justice, a Class 4 felony, for bringing contraband into the jail and destroying the evidence, Covelli said.

Howard remains held in the Lake County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court on July 10.