3 SIBLINGS CHARGED WITH SMUGGLING DRUGS AT PRISON; A WARDEN SNIFFS OUT
PEN PAL'S SCHEME OF SOAKING STATIONARY IN METHAMPHETAMINES.

Two North Texas women elevated the art of letter writing to a new high by
soaking stationery in methamphetamine, letting it dry, then mailing it to
their brother in a Mineral Wells prison, officials said Tuesday.

"They cared enough to send the best. They used Hallmark brand -- not a
slick paper, but very porous," said Larry Fowler, an investigator for the
Parker County district attorney who initiated the six-month investigation
while he was warden at the privately run Corrections Corporation of America
prison in Mineral Wells. "It was something I've never seen before," said
Fowler, a 35- year law officer. Fowler uncovered the hoax through regular
monitoring of inmate telephone calls at the prison that houses prisoners
for the Texas Department of Corrections.

"With about 2,000 inmates, they probably figured we'd never catch any of
them," said Fowler who knew something fishy was going on when he heard an
inmate say he "ate some stationery," made by another inmate's sister.

The siblings, inmate Scott Allen Yrdanoff, 35, Lisa Yrdanoff Russell, 38,
and Kelly Jo Long, 34, were indicted on charges of organized crime, drug
possession and smuggling drugs into a correctional facility.

"They [Russell and Long] were taking stationery and soaking it in
methamphetamine, letting it dry and then writing a letter on the stationery
and mailing it. Then they [ the letter recipient] would cut the letter into
strips or chips and distribute it," to other inmates, Fowler said.

The Department of Public Safety laboratory identified the methamphetamine,
said Parker County Assistant District Attorney Jeff Swain.

"According to DPS, one letter contained 5.5 grams of methamphetamine. When
you think about it, that's a heavy piece of paper," Swain said.

But not heavy enough to be returned to sender. If convicted, each of the
siblings could face two to 99 years or life in prison. Yrdanoff was serving
time in the prison for a parole violation on another drug charge.

He is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in 43rd District Court in
Weatherford. Swain said the two sisters were jailed on unrelated charges
before the drug smuggling investigation was completed. Russell has since
been transferred to state prison from Dallas County Jail where she is being
held for parole violation. Long is being held in Johnson County on
unrelated drug charges.