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| Drugged Inmate Directed Fraud |
| By NorthJersey.com |
| Published: 10/07/2002 |
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Instead, Patrick Demedici, who died of a drug overdose in the Hudson County Jail, conspired with an officer to run up more than $300,000 in fraudulent credit-card charges to buy computers and electronic equipment, which were then fenced, prosecutors said last week. The guard, Wesley Hailey, was arrested last week as he arrived for the midnight shift at the Kearny lockup. The four-year veteran was charged not only in connection with the fraud but also with criminal liability in Demedici's death - for supplying the drugs that killed the inmate, said Hudson County Prosecutor Edward J. De Fazio. In addition, Hailey's cousin, William Dwayne Adams of Jersey City, was charged with receiving stolen property, De Fazio said. The probe began after corrections officers found Demedici, 36, of Pennsylvania, dead in his cell during the morning meal distribution March 8. The medical examiner ruled his death a heroin overdose, with other drugs mixed in, as well, De Fazio said. A subsequent search of his cell turned up a substantial amount of heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, as well as several hypodermic needles. Investigators also found handwritten notes that later tied the inmate and the guard to the operation being run out of the jail cell, De Fazio said. It is not clear why or how Hailey and Demedici allegedly began conspiring, De Fazio said. Demedici was being held in a cell by himself in the jail's lockdown area and Hailey was an officer on the tier. Authorities said Hailey supplied Demedici with a cellphone, which he then used to make harassing calls to residents of wealthy neighborhoods at random. Demedici then called backed and, changing his voice, introduced himself as an investigator from the telephone company who wanted to apologize for the harassing calls. He offered to compensate the customers for the ordeal, and asked for extremely detailed information - including credit-card numbers, addresses, and Social Security numbers. Hailey and his cousin collected the goods, which Demedici had shipped to various drop-off points, DeFazio said. |
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