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Highlands Today

Charges Dropped In Cocaine Smuggling Case

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By Joe  Seelig | Highlands Today

Published: June 5, 2008

SEBRING — A Tampa woman was cleared Monday of charges of mailing cocaine to a jailed significant other and smuggling contraband into a jail due to insufficient evidence.

Gentra Maria Taylor, 39, of 8603 N. 39th St.–– formerly of 1002 Lake Anoka Blvd., Avon Park ––was accused by sheriff's investigators of sending letters containing packages of cocaine to inmate Detrick D. McGriff, 41. McGriff was arrested on Dec. 4, on a charge of violation of probation for possession of cocaine.

The jail received the cocaine-laced letter and a second letter April 17. Authorities arrested Taylor April 24.

Assistant State Attorney Steve Houchin said the charges were dropped because the fingerprints on the mailing envelope and the Zip-Lock stylebaggies that contained the cocaine did not match Taylor's.

"There certainly was probable cause and we were hoping to find a partial fingerprint inside tying her to it, but we didn't," Houchin said.

The letters did not appear to have been tampered with before the jail staff opened them, it was previously reported in a Highlands Today story.

Taylor did not deny writing the letters, but she denied that she sent McGriff any drugs, Houchin said.

Taylor did not return a call for comment.

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