Five people are facing charges in a drug smuggling operation involving mattresses at the Niagara County Jail.
According to the Niagara County Sheriff's Office, Denise Bern, 48, and Kenneth Wondolowski, 52, both of Lockport, attempted to attach marijuana and suboxone to a string that was made from the seam of mattresses knotted together. The string was lowered out of a second story window of the jail. They were arrested in the jail parking lot.
Investigators say several people in the jail lobby saw what was happening and alerted jail staff.
Bern and Wondolowski are charged with promoting prison contraband, conspiracy and criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Three inmates are also facing charges for their alleged role in the smuggling attempt. Joseph Gugliuzza, 46 of Lockport; Jason Benedict, 34 of Lockport; and Barry Frain, Jr., 39, of North Tonawanda are charged with attempted promotion of prison contraband.
