A practicing attorney from Rochester faces federal charges after she attempted to smuggle cellphones, marijuana, and tobacco into a federal prison in Youngstown, Ohio, according to court documents.
According to a federal document, Ivy Collins-Harris attempted to enter the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center on Tuesday with contraband. Investigators seized about 57 grams of suspected marijuana, 1,090 grams of tobacco, eight iPhones, and several chargers.
Collins-Harris described herself as an attorney representing two detainees, according to the document, despite the fact that she did not represent either of them. She was detained at a security checkpoint before entering the prison, when officers discovered two vacuum-sealed bundles of tobacco and marijuana inside a brown accordion folder. A search of her purse revealed additional tobacco in a secret compartment.
The phones and chargers were discovered inside two laptops with their internal components removed, according to the affidavit. A search of her vehicle turned up another phone.
Collins-Harris, who was admitted to the New York State Bar Association in 2024, has been charged with attempting to provide contraband in prison, according to court filings. She was released from jail on a $20,000 bond.
In a Thursday filing, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio requested that Collins-Harris’ freedom be revoked and an emergency arrest warrant issued after she failed to report to pre-trial services after being released.
Collins-Harris was arrested in New York State less than a week before her arrest in Ohio. Collins-Harris, 37, of Rochester, allegedly took products from a Tyre business. She was detained on September 16 and charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property before being released on an appearance ticket.
Leave a Reply