A New York attorney is facing a federal charge after authorities say she attempted to enter an Ohio correctional facility carrying a stunning collection of prohibited items including eight cellphones allegedly hidden inside hollowed-out laptops, marijuana and more than two pounds of tobacco.
Ivy Collins-Harris, 37, of Rochester, was charged with attempting to provide contraband in prison following the September 22 incident at the Northeast Ohio Correctional Institution in Youngstown.
According to an FBI affidavit, Collins-Harris arrived at the facility and identified herself as an attorney representing two inmates being held there. Investigators later determined through federal court records that she was not listed as the attorney of record for either inmate in their federal cases.
The alleged plan began unraveling during the prison’s mandatory security screening.
Authorities say officers discovered two vacuum-sealed packages containing tobacco inside an accordion-style folder. Further inspection reportedly uncovered approximately 57 grams of suspected marijuana and additional tobacco.
But investigators allegedly made an even more surprising discovery when they examined two laptops Collins-Harris was carrying.
According to court documents, the internal components had been removed from the computers, creating concealed spaces that allegedly contained eight Apple iPhones and multiple cellphone chargers. Investigators ultimately reported recovering about 1,090 grams of tobacco, the suspected marijuana, phones and chargers.
Collins-Harris was initially released on a $20,000 unsecured bond after appearing in federal court. More recent reports say prosecutors later sought her arrest again after she allegedly failed to report as required to pretrial services.
The case remains pending, and the allegations against Collins-Harris have not resulted in a conviction.
What authorities describe as an attempted prison visit has now become a federal criminal case with the alleged use of hollowed-out laptops making the incident particularly unusual.
