COLUMBUS — A 27-year-old man is under arrest after police determined he was responsible for two overdoses in the Bartholomew County Jail due to trafficking drugs into the facility.
Dai Von Coram of Columbus was arrested on preliminary charges of dealing a narcotic drug, a Level 4 felony, trafficking with an inmate, a Level 5 felony and obstruction of justice, a Level 6 felony.
He is being held in jail on a $80,000 bond.
According to jail records, Coram previously had been arrested by Columbus Police on Feb. 21 on charges of possession of a hypodermic needle or syringe, possession of paraphernalia, and invasion of privacy.
According to the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, two inmates on Monday, afternoon two inmates suffered overdoses at approximately 5:30 p.m. in the jail. Both were rushed to the hospital, where they were treated and returned to the jail.
Jail staff searched the jail block and found two additional inmates who were also showing signs of impairment.
An investigation into how the inmate acquired drugs was launched and ended with the arrest of Coram thanks to a confession, the sheriff’s department said.
Sheriff Christopher Lane didn’t release any details into how Coram got the drugs into the jail.
“It is my responsibility to maintain the integrity of the investigation and ensure that the individual(s) responsible for trafficking these illegal substances are held accountable,” Sheriff Lane said.
Jail Commander Capt. Justin Arnholt credited his staff for quickly taking action and finding additional inmates under the influence.
