Mercer Police: Woman's kiss smuggled drugs to inmate

MERCER, Pa. (AP) — A western Pennsylvania woman has been ordered to stand trial on charges she passed a drug-filled balloon to a state prison inmate while kissing him.

State police say guards at the State Correctional Institution-Mercer became suspicious when inmate Otis McKinzie appeared to swallow something after a prolonged kiss with a visitor on Oct. 19.

When McKinzie wouldn’t tell guards what he swallowed, they put him in a cell where they could monitor his bathroom visits and found a balloon filled with marijuana three days later.

Police charged McKinzie, and the woman, Michele Jordan, of Farrell, with conspiracy to smuggle contraband and other charges. Both are 41.

A district judge ordered them to stand trial at a hearing on Monday.