Corrections Officer From Tewksbury Accused Of Sneaking Drugs Into Jail

TEWKSBURY, MA — A Tewksbury man working as a corrections officer at the Middlesex Jail and House of Correction was charged and suspended earlier this month after allegedly delivering drugs to prisoners, the Middlesex District Attorney's Office and Middlesex Sheriff's Office announced.

Francisco Morales-Urizandi, 32, was charged in Lowell District Court with conspiring to violate the Controlled Substance Act, authorities said.

According to authorities, Morales-Urizandi was arraigned on Jan 13, and had bail set at $1,000. He also was ordered not to have contact with the witnesses and co-conspirators in the case and to be on a GPS monitoring device.

The Middlesex Sheriff's Office said it suspended Morales-Urizandi without pay.

According to police reports, between April and August of 2020, Morales-Urizandi, who was working as a corrections officer at the Middlesex Jail and House of Correction in Billerica, allegedly conspired with associates outside the jail and two detainees to acquire and distribute controlled substances, including: suboxone, marijuana, K2 and cigarettes.

Morales-Urizandi allegedly collected the controlled substances from the outside associates and covertly transported them into the jail for distribution, authorities said.

Authorities said the plot was uncovered during an internal investigation that was conducted by the Middlesex Sheriff's Office Internal Investigations Unit (IIU), which was assisted by the Middlesex District Attorney's Office and the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the district attorney's office.