Jail librarian indicted for allegedly smuggling $65,000 worth of synthetic marijuana

A former librarian at the Bristol County Jail and House of Correction was indicted on Monday, Oct. 20 for being part of what may be the largest alleged employee drug smuggling scheme in the jail’s history.

On June 9, 2025, New Bedford resident and former librarian Ginger Hook, 46, allegedly smuggled in synthetic marijuana in the form of 13 sheets of paper, worth approximately $65,000 when sold inside the jail. This is allegedly not the first time she has smuggled synthetic marijuana in. 

Synthetic marijuana is also known as “spice” or “K-2” and is a designer drug manufactured to mimic the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, THC.

Hook worked at the jail for about 18 months before resigning in July. She had four co-conspirators who were also indicted, including inmate Joseph Housley of Rehoboth, Brandin Barbosa-Mayo of New Bedford, Bestlee Vasquez of Somerset, and Axel Hazard of Rhode Island.

“The inmate convinced the employee to bring contraband into the jail, and the employee agreed to do that,” said Sheriff Paul Heroux.

Captain Christine Fortin said investigators believe Hook acted intentionally.

“She did it on her own,” she said.

Housely was arrested in 2025 for the murder of his father, given 18 to life. Barbosa-Mayo and Vasquez were jailmates of his after they were both arrested for drug related charges in separate incidents.

Hook allegedly worked with Housley on two other occasions in late 2024 and in February, smuggling in an unknown quantity of drugs both times, Heroux said.

Prior to the June 9 bust, Heroux and the Special Investigations Unit became aware of the potential for a third smuggling.

The Special Investigations Unit set up an operation and monitored what was going on in the jail and found it was likely Hook was going to attempt to smuggle contraband in for a third time, Heroux said.

On June 9, investigators observed Hook attempting to conceal paperwork in a folder that she brought into her office from outside of the secure perimeter of the jail.

Investigators searched the folder Hook brought in and found 13 sheets of paper disguised as “Legal Work,” according to Heroux. After testing the pages, they were found to be infused with alleged synthetic marijuana.

According to Heroux, Hook had passed the background check run before she started working at the jail, with no prior record coming up.

“Some people can come in without a criminal record without even the intention of doing things wrong, and that happens as well,” he said.

It’s currently unknown what Hook’s original intentions were when she began working at the jail.

Heroux said that the jail has a “police and a practice not to allow employees, visitors, guests, to bring in paper,” noting that bringing papers into the jail is one way for synthetic marijuana to get in.

He explained that there are five main ways that drugs are smuggled into jails, which include visitors, new or returning inmates, staff, in the mail, and via aerial methods, which includes throwing the drugs over the jail wall or by using a drone.

Heroux said that when drugs come into the jail it’s a “health and safety issue” for both employees and inmates.

“What it does when [drugs] come in, it escalates everything from gang violence to the overall safety of the inmate population and the staff that works here, including the civilians,” said Assistant Superintendent Wayne Torres.

Heroux said that attempts to smuggle drugs in is not unique to the Bristol County Jail and House of Correction and is a challenge for “every jail and every prison in the country.”

To curtail smuggling, the jail has increased the number of drug detection dogs that they have in their canine unit and are doing enhanced screenings when people enter.

Heroux called it “extremely disappointing” for employees to attempt to smuggle drugs into the jail.

“Whoever does this … they’re betraying the trust of the people they work with, they’re betraying the trust of the public, and there’s just absolutely no excuse for it, no reason for it,” he said.

Hook will be appearing at the Bristol County Superior Court in Fall River on Dec. 11.