A former Bucks County corrections officer is among nine men, including one charged as a juvenile, charged in a scheme to smuggle Suboxone strips into the Bucks County Correctional Facility and distribute the drug among inmates.

Joseph J. Jennings, 31, of Warminster,

was arraigned Monday on felony counts of corrupt organizations, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, contraband, criminal use of a communications facility and related conspiracy counts.

Following his arraignment, Jennings posted bail set by District Judge Mark D. Douple at 10 percent of $500,000.

The Bucks County Detectives Drug Strike Force and Bucks County Correctional Facility Investigators allege in an affidavit of probable cause that Jennings smuggled Suboxone into the jail on multiple occasions between October 2018 and July 2019 while employed as a guard assigned to the restrictive housing unit at the Doylestown Township facility.

Jennings, referred to by his co-conspirators as “Leonidas” in reference to the film 300, provided the drugs to inmate Vincent McCandless Sr., who then distributed the drugs to other inmates in the jail including fellow inmate Joseph Korhan.

On the outside, Joseph Robert Wilson and McCandless’s juvenile son supplied Jennings with the Suboxone. Inmates who purchased the drugs paid through various methods, often soliciting family members to wire money to Wilson, or deposit funds into McCandless’s prison commissary account.

McCandless, 35, and Wilson, 40, of Philadelphia; as well as Korhan, 47, face the same charges as Jennings for their roles in the scheme. Wilson was arraigned Wednesday and jailed for lack of bail set at 10 percent of $500,000.

Additionally, Richard Dzielinski, 40, of Philadelphia, and Travis Davies, 32, of the Levittown area, are charged in the case with dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity and other counts relating to the possession and organized sale of drugs in the prison.

Robert Monacelli, 28, of Falls Township, is charged with possession of contraband by an inmate, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and conspiracy.

Another of the nine defendants, a Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, man is charged with possession of contraband by an inmate, criminal use of a communications facility and conspiracy. Also arraigned Wednesday, he was released on unsecured bail set at $25,000.

Several of the defendants have not yet been arraigned.

This case was investigated by the Bucks County Detectives Drug Strike Force and Bucks County Correctional Facility Investigators. Agents of the Pennsylvania Parole Board, as well as the Philadelphia Police Department’s Intensive Drug Investigation Squad and PPD 26^th District Violence Reduction Unit assisted in the investigation. The case is assigned for prosecution to Deputy District Attorney Mary Kate Kohler.

Contact: James O’Malley, 215.348.6298, jtomalley@buckscounty.org

Criminal charges are allegations subject to proof in court. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.