Group teamed up to smuggle Suboxone strips into jail

A former attorney is facing multiple charges, her husband is on the run from US Marshals, and two others are facing charges for their parts in allegedly smuggling prison contraband inside the Covington County Jail in recent weeks.

Covington County Sheriff Dennis Meeks said Tuesday that a joint investigation between Covington County Corrections Officers and agents with the 22nd Judicial Drug Task Force resulted in charges against four individuals for attempting to get drugs into the county jail.

Meeks said that after a weeks-long investigation, Jacob Aries Rabren, who was an inmate in the jail, was charged with promoting prison contraband first degree and was held on a $50,000 bond, along with other charges he was facing.

Also arrested was Gary Carpenter Little, a recent inmate of the jail.

He was charged with promoting prison contraband and held on a $50,000 bond.

Warrants were also issued for Wanda Marler Rabren, the former attorney, and David Blair Rabren.

Wanda Rabren was transported to the Covington County Jail after she bonded out of the Coffee County Jail from charges she had received in that jurisdiction.

Locally she was charged with promoting prison contraband first degree and unlawful distribution of a controlled substance.

Suboxone was the drug allegedly transported. Suboxone contains a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone. It is used to treat narcotic, and specifically opiate, addiction, but some people become high off of the strips.

Wanda Rabren was held on a $250,000 bond.

David Rabren is facing charges of promoting prison contraband first degree and is currently being sought.

The sheriff’s office has contacted and is working in conjunction with the U.S. Marshall Service Fugitive Task Force in efforts to locate David Rabren, Meeks said.

Meeks said he commends those who executed the investigation that began after corrections officers received a tip about an attempt to get contraband into the jail.

DTF agents were contacted and the joint investigation led to the charges and an end to that pathway of drugs into the facility.

Meeks said that there are other charges forthcoming.

Meeks said officials need the public’s help in locating David Rabren.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at 334-428-2641, Covington County E911 at 334-427-4911 or contact your local law enforcement agency.

This is just one of many operations to keep contraband out of the CCJ, he said.

“We will not tolerate contraband in our jail,” Meeks said. “We are actively working to keep any and all contraband from coming in. If we catch you, you will be prosecuted, and we don’t care who you are.”