BOONEVILLE ­- A former prison guard has been charged with a plot to bring drugs into the Lee Adjustment Center.

Matthew Hoskins, age 20, of Booneville, was arrested on a charge of first-degree promoting contraband last week by deputies from the Owsley County Sheriff's Office after recognizing his name on a list of citizens called for jury duty.

Operation UNITE detectives had been looking for Hoskins since September 2007, but had been unable to locate him.

Hoskins is accused of conspiring with an inmate at the Lee facility to have marijuana sent to him by a third person, then bring the drugs to the inmate.

Apparently several attempts to mail the marijuana were made, but each time the U.S. Postal Service was unable to make a delivery because of a bad address. Agents from the Postal Service became suspicious and obtained a federal search warrant for the package.

Inside the package authorities discovered approximately 2 grams of marijuana with a street value of about $800.

UNITE detectives interviewed Hoskins on September 18 last year. They subsequently obtained an arrest warrant from the Owsley county attorney's office, but were unable to find Hoskins.

For more information about Operation UNITE visit their website at www.operationunite.org.