Missouri Man Sentenced to 6 Years and 3 Months in Prison for Narcotics Conspiracy in Prison Discovered Following the Death of USP Atwater Staff

FRESNO, Calif. - Jermen Rudd III, 39, of Wentzville, Missouri, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Kirk E. Sherriff to six years and three months in prison for conspiracy to distribute narcotics and introducing a controlled substance into prison as a result of an investigation into the death of a Supervisory Correctional Systems Specialist at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atwater, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, between July 15, 2024, and Aug. 9, 2024, Rudd conspired with Jamar Jones, 37, an inmate at USP Atwater and Stephanie Ferreira, 37, of Evansville, Indiana to introduce narcotics into USP Atwater for Jones to sell. As part of that scheme, Jones and Ferreira had Rudd mail a letter laced with narcotics to Jones that was fraudulently labeled as legal mail.

On Aug. 9, 2024, two correctional officers at USP Atwater opened the letter and minutes later began to feel ill. After evaluation by medical staff, the Supervisory Correctional Systems Specialist was subsequently taken to the hospital where he passed away. The other staff member, a Correctional Systems Officer, recovered. Rudd pleaded guilty on Jan. 12, 2026.

The narcotics in the letter consisted of two varieties of synthetic cannabinoids sold under the street name "Spice." Synthetic cannabinoids are lab created chemicals that can be distributed in liquid form and are designed to produce a psychoactive effect.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons conducted the investigation with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California also received assistance from the U.S. Attorney's Offices in the Eastern District of Missouri and the Southern District of Indiana. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Veneman-Hughes is prosecuting the case.

Jones and Ferreira remain in custody pending trial set for Sept. 15, 2026. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.