Woman pleads to money laundering charge after investigation into drug deals inside jail
ZANESVILLE ‒ One of two Nashport residents who authorities say used a money transfer app to aid in drug deals while incarcerated appeared in court, 10 months after an inmate died of a fentanyl overdose. The other remains in jail.
Dakota McCormick was found unresponsive in the county jail on May 7, 2024, which prompted an investigation, according to an announcement from the Muskingum County Prosecutor's Office.
Investigators found Antonio C. Cannada Sr., 44, and Chantay Lynn Dobbins, 57, had been brokering internal deals and receiving external payments through Dobbins' Cash App account.
Cannada directed Dobbins to handle money for methamphetamine and fentanyl deals, which were later corroborated through jail phone calls, dorm videos, and Cash App records.
Cannada was charged on seven felony counts: murder, an unclassified felony; involuntary manslaughter, first degree; corrupting another with drugs, first degree; illegal conveyance of drugs, third degree; money laundering, third degree; fentanyl trafficking, fourth degree; and fentanyl possession, fifth degree, in January.
He plead not guilty on Feb. 5 and his bond was set at $1 million.
Dobbins recently appeared in court, where she pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering, a third-degree felony.
Dobbins could be sentenced to three years in prison and sanctioned up to $10,000 in fines. There's an optional post-release control of up to two years after her sentence. She is out on a recognizance bond. Inmates can't legally earn money while in jail or prison, the prosecutor's office said. The only legal way to transfer money or deliver gifts is by using a facility's commissary system.
Money transferring apps have facilitated illicit drug purchases and illegal payments, which can lead to money laundering charges for those that assist.
"This sad case shows how dangerous it can be when people assist with illegal money transactions for inmates. Drug dealing and helping drug dealers takes lives," said Assistant Prosecutor John Litle.
"This is just one of many cases we're working on right now. We're going after girlfriends, wives, moms, sisters, and others tied to drug dealers in jail. We'll hold everyone accountable, inside or outside the jail," he added.
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Investigation into Muskingum Co. Jail drug deals leads to conviction
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