8 inmates accused of using meth

DURANGO — Authorities say eight inmates in La Plata County were caught using meth after jail deputies noticed them acting strangely.

La Plata County Sheriff’s Capt. Michael Slade says it’s the biggest case of meth use he’s seen at the jail. He says 23-year-old inmate Dana Sanders is suspected of distributing the drug to the other inmates at the jail in Durango, about 340 miles southwest of Denver.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Holley Ezzell says some of the inmates failed drug tests, while others refused to take them. She says the tests were ordered after deputies noticed the inmates’ odd behavior.

The sheriff’s office says some of the inmates accused of using the drug were “trustees” and had additional freedoms, such as being able to work at the jail’s kitchen.