Over the course of several days last week, Barton County Jail staff and Barton County Sheriff’s Office detectives became aware of a plan to smuggle methamphetamine into the detention facility, Sheriff Brian Bellendir said.

“Detectives had identified an individual who was serving weekends to fulfill his sentence who had been recruited to smuggle contraband into the jail,” he said.  He was to pass the drugs to other inmates. 

On June 16, Sheriff’s Office detectives and jail staff discovered suspected methamphetamine sewn into the seam of his undergarments when the individual reported Friday evening. 

Detectives arrested Craig Gowdy age 47 of Great Bend. Gowdy was booked on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and trafficking contraband into a correctional facility. He is being held on a $50,000 bond.

An inmate currently in jail, identified as Matthew Cooley age 36 of Great Bend was also arrested and booked on the same charges. Cooley was being held on two probation violation charges and now has additional trafficking and distribution charges. He now has an additional $50,000 bond.

The Sheriff’s Office believes there were additional co-conspirators in this case and will be seeking arrest warrants in the very near future, Bellendir said.