Woman charged with passing drugs to inmates at Connellsville district judge office
Three people are facing charges after a woman allegedly passed drugs to her son, who was in custody, outside a Fayette County magisterial district judge’s office after discussing the plans in a recorded call.
Connellsville Police said Robin Renae Rugg, 40, of Connellsville passed drugs to her son, Tristan Wayne Nicholson, 19, of Connellsville June 25. She allegedly gave him a balloon containing amphetamine, fentanyl, synthetic marijuana, LSD and suboxone outside Magisterial District Judge Ronald Haggerty Jr.’s office in Connellsville, where he had a preliminary hearing scheduled. Justin C. Nicholson, 33, of Connellsville reportedly asked for some of the Suboxone in a recorded call. Justin Nicholson is not a relative of Tristan Nicholson or Rugg, police said.
According to court paperwork, Connellsville Police were notified by Fayette County Prison staff about several calls between Rugg and both men where they discussed the plans during FaceTime calls on jail tablets. At the district judge’s office, Rugg allegedly showed Justin Nicholson the drugs through a FaceTime call. She was allegedly observed by officers passing the drugs to Tristan Nicholson. Rugg also allegedly participated in calls on FaceTime during court proceedings with Justin Nicholson, displaying defendants, victims and witnesses.
She was taken into custody and reportedly confessed to delivering the drugs to her son.
Officers reviewed recorded calls between Rugg and the men, and said in one call Justin Nicholson asked Rugg to tell Tristan Nicholson to give him the suboxone he did not want.
The trio is facing charges including possession with intent to deliver, contraband, conspiracy, criminal use of a communication facility and possession of a controlled substance. The men were arraigned Monday morning before Haggerty, who set bail at $25,000 in both cases. Connellsville Police issued an arrest warrant for Rugg Thursday.