On June 19, at approximately 7:30 a.m., Mohave County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by MTC prison officials in Golden Valley in reference to illegal narcotics, according to a press release issued by MCSO Thursday. The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office contacted Mohave Area General Narcotics Enforcement Team to respond to the prison to conduct the investigation, the sheriff’s office said.

Prison officials informed MAGNET investigators that while performing random checks of vehicles in the parking lot, they discovered narcotics in the vehicle being driven by Casslyn Mae Welch, 44,a of Mesa, the press release stated. Welch is believed to be the accomplice that helped three MTC prisoners’ escape late last month.

MAGNET investigators contacted Welch, who was determined to be in possession of illegal narcotics, believed to be marijuana and heroin. The investigation determined that, in fact, Welch was acting as a “mule” in transporting illegal narcotics for a white supremacy group, according to the SO communiqué.

Welch was detained and not immediately taken into custody in order to assist in developing and supplying information that is common practice in many narcotic transportation and smuggling cases. After information was developed into Welch’s ties to the prison escape, charges were forwarded to the Mohave County Attorney’s Office for review and subsequently charged with six counts of narcotics violations were filed, according to the press release.

The investigation is still open and ongoing into the sources of the narcotics in Welch’s possession.