DeKalb County Jail inmates charged for smuggling heroin into jail

DeKALB – Two women face drug charges after smuggling heroin into the DeKalb County jail, snorting it and being hospitalized, according to a news release from the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office.

Angelica N. Sanders, 29, of Sycamore and Nichole R. Senatre, 33, of DeKalb are both charged with unlawful possession of contraband in a penal institution and unlawful possession of controlled substance. If convicted of the contraband possession charge, they could face four to 15 years in prison, where Senatre is already serving a 12-year sentence recently handed down.

About 3:30 p.m. Oct. 1, a sheriff's office deputy failed to properly screen hygiene products brought to the jail, and in which heroin was concealed, and internal disciplinary action has been taken against the officer, according to the release.

Sanders had been in jail since July 20 on drug charges after turning over five needles to Sycamore police officers during an electronic home monitoring compliance check. If she does time in prison, she'd also get two years of parole – same case for Senatre.

At Sanders' bond hearing Thursday afternoon, her public defender, Chip Criswell, said shortly after her overdose, she elected to participate in drug treatment, and that she's been on a waiting list at Women's Residential Services in Lake County for a bed while she's waited for the investigation to play out. She'll go back before Judge Philip Montgomery on Monday.

Sheriff Roger Scott said inmates often attempt to sneak contraband into the jail, and attempts are usually intercepted. He said there has not been a case this severe since the overdose death of Brandon Alexander last year. He declined to comment on what action would be taken against the deputy.

"The investigation covered a lot of territory, but it's possible something like this could have happened before," Scott said.

Sanders and Senatre secretly took and snorted the heroin and were taken to Kishwaukee Hospital about 5:15 p.m. after corrections officers administered Narcan to Sanders, the release says. They were later discharged and returned to the jail around 8:30 the same evening. It was later determined that the heroin was laced with fentanyl, another opioid that is stronger, the release added.

The release says Senatre and Sanders worked together to arrange the drug's delivery, and that the sheriff's office, in collaboration with the Rockford Police Department, determined Anthony M. Murphy, 32, of Rockford, was the source of the heroin.

Scott said Sanders and Senatre were in the same cell block but did not share a cell. He added that there was no indication that the individual who delivered the hygiene products to the jail had any idea they were bringing in heroin.

Warrants have been issued for Murphy for drug induced infliction of great bodily harm and unlawful delivery of a controlled substance. If convicted of the most serious charge, unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, Murphy could face six to 30 years in prison.

Warrants have also been issued for Senatre, who was recently taken to Statesville Prison in Crest Hill after receiving a 10-year sentence for aggravated driving under the influence and a two-year sentence for theft. This marked her sixth DUI conviction.