A prison that houses quite a few offenders with ties to Murfreesboro where they once lived prior to incarceration, made a big bust of contraband.

Vigilance by Tennessee Department of Correction staff foiled an attempt to introduce a large amount of contraband into Riverbend Maximum Security Institution (RMSI) in Nashville. On February 22, 2016, TDOC officers intercepted 3.9 ounces of marijuana, 10.6 ounces of loose tobacco, 11 cell phones, two SIM cards, nine USB chargers with charging blocks, three cigarette lighters, three rolls of black electrical tape, 14 hanging air fresheners and 50 cigar wraps, preventing the items from entering the prison.

Department of Correction special agents began an aggressive investigation which linked the contraband to offenders assigned to work on the prison's landscaping crew. Agents quickly determined those offenders conspired with outside sources, including 45 year old Janet Utley, to smuggle contraband into the prison. On Tuesday, March 1, 2016, the special agents arrested Utley on two felony counts of Introduction of Contraband into a Penal Institution.

The investigation is ongoing and the Tennessee Department of Correction continues to work closely with the office of Davidson County District Attorney Glenn Funk on the case.

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