An inmate at Schuylkill County Prison is now facing drug charges after corrections officers allegedly found cocaine and fentanyl stuffed up his rectum.
Schuylkill County District Attorney Detectives say they arrived at Lackawanna County Prison on Wednesday to bring Bernard Brightman, 38, of Plymouth, back to the lockup in Pottsville on an active bench warrant.
Brightman has been wanted by authorities in Schuylkill County since 2023 for failing to appear in court on a DUI case from that year.
Shortly after noon on Wednesday, Brightman was brought to the intake area at Schuylkill County Prison and subsequently searched. Despite allegedly saying that he had no drugs on him at the time, corrections officers say they located a clear, plastic baggie stuffed inside Brightman’s rectum.
The baggie appeared to contain controlled substances, authorities say.
Brightman then reportedly waived his Miranda rights and agreed to speak with detectives, which is when he allegedly admitted that the substances were “crack cocaine, cocaine, and fentanyl.”
Upon closer inspection, authorities say there were four clear baggies inside that contained a chunky white substances, two baggies that contained a powdery white substances, and one baggie with an off-white powdery substance.
Tests conducted on those substances reportedly turned up positive for cocaine and fentanyl, authorities say.
Brightman is now being charged with three felony counts of possession of a controlled substance by an inmate and three misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance.
He was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge James Reiley on Thursday afternoon, who set bail at $25,000.
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