Police: Corrections Officer Attempted to Smuggle Drugs Into Prison

An East Haven man has been arrested by state police for allegedly attempting to smuggle drugs into the Cheshire Correctional Institution where he served as a corrections officer.

Arcolain Fountain, 46, of Mill Street in East Haven, was charged Tuesday with criminal attempt to convey unauthorized items into a correctional facility, criminal attempt to possess narcotics and criminal attempt to possess a hallucinogenic.

The arrest is a result of a State Police Statewide Narcotics Task Force investigation that began in March.

The investigation — which was assisted by the Security Division of the Department of Corrections — was focused on information discovered that a corrections officer might attempt to convey illegal narcotics into the Cheshire Correctional Institution, according to State Police Lt. J. Paul Vance.

Vance reports that while conducting surveillance state police detectives observed Fountain "conducting a hand to hand narcotics transaction" in the commuter lot of I-84, Exit 28, in Southington.

"Members of the State Police Tactical Team moved in and arrested Fountain without incident," Vance stated in a press release this afternoon.

Narcotics evidence was seized at the scene, as well as a 2001 Suzuki motorcycle. In addition, detectives also responded to Fountain's East Haven apartment where personal handguns were also seized.

Fountain was held on $100,000 cash or surety bond, and he is scheduled to appear in Meriden Court today.

The Connecticut State Police Statewide Narcotics Unit South Central Field Office is comprised of state police detectives and officers from New Haven, Orange, Woodbridge, Cheshire and West Haven police departments.