An inmate has been charged for allegedly selling drugs laced with fentanyl to a 27-year-old Army veteran, who died in March after ingesting them and falling and hitting his head while they were both in the DeKalb County Jail.
Over the summer, Christon Collins’ family pushed for an investigation into his death, when they said they discovered several inconsistencies in the county’s reports about the incident.
DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston agreed. On Tuesday, Nov. 19, a grand jury indicted 45-year-old Tobias Woods on four counts, including felony murder, two counts of distribution of a Schedule II substance and items prohibited for possession by inmates.
“Being in jail should not be a death sentence, and crimes that happen inside the jail will not be ignored just because the people impacted are behind bars,” Boston said during a news conference on Thursday, Nov. 21.
Woods, who had been released on bond, is now back in custody. He is accused of selling drugs laced with fentanyl to Collins and at least one other inmate in their assigned pod. An autopsy conducted by the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office confirms Collins died of a fentanyl overdose.
Before his death, Collins’ family claims the veteran had been dealing with PTSD and cycling in and out of jail. Boston said he died awaiting his day in court. He had not been convicted.
Boston said the investigation into how the “deadly drugs” got into the jail is ongoing. But, other details remain fuzzy, like why Collins was left lying on the floor for hours without any medical attention.
Boston said witnesses came forward with information that Woods “actively worked to prevent Collins from getting medical assistance so that he wouldn’t get caught” selling drugs. Surveillance video also allegedly captured Woods dragging Collins into his cell and out of the view of jail staff.
However, an open records request filed by WABE over the summer also shows that at least one jail employee who was handing out meals that day found Collins unresponsive in his pod but failed to report the incident or give him CPR. The officer was later suspended for 8.5 hours without pay.
“Our investigation is open and active and we will continue as we learn additional facts continue to look into any and all circumstances surrounding the death of Christon Collins,” Boston said.
Meanwhile, in a separate case, Boston said a now-former jail employee, Joann Marks, was indicted this week for providing cigarettes and a cell phone to an inmate she had a sexual relationship with. Marks has since turned herself in to the DeKalb County Jail.
“We will continue to investigate and hold anyone accountable that breaks these rules and commits these crimes by bringing anything and everything that is not allowed into a jail or prison,” Boston said.
Both indictments come after two separate federal probes by the Justice Department found unconstitutional conditions and rights violations in Fulton County’s jail and Georgia’s prisons earlier this year.
