(STORY IMAGE:KHQ.COM)
SPOKANE, Wash. -A local inmate has a new charge after jail staff say they found drugs and a lighter in his cell.
Travis J. Patten was arrested and booked into jail on Saturday. According to court documents, officers suspected he had drugs in cell the next day.
"The smell is unmistakable," said Jail Sgt. Tom Hill. "Whether it's smoked, or just in his possession, you can smell it." Court documents show officers recovered a bag of marijuana and a lighter inside Patten's sock. "They found it pretty quickly once they started the search," Sgt. Hill said. Jail staff said they are constantly cracking down on this type of crime. They said they work to find and then eliminate the different ways contraband makes its way into the facility. "They think of a way to bring it in, we correct it," Sgt. Hill said. "It's an ongoing battle."
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Travis J. Patten is already serving time in the Spokane County Jail but on Sunday, December 3, officers responded to his cell after they smelled marijuana. During a strip search of Patten, Officer Anderson found a blue lighter and brown paper bag that contained marijuana inside of Patten's sock.
Patten has been booked into Spokane County Jail with his new charges.