Brasfield has been charged with one count of money laundering and one of conspiracy to launder. She pleaded not guilty and along with co-defendants Jaime Liberty and Jayleen Rivera was released on bail on her own recognisance. Liberty and Rivera are charged with conspiracy to smuggle drugs into the prison.

Others include Brasfield’s nephew and five “non-incarcerated relations or significant others.”

The drugs were those that are proving to be the scourge of prisons in many countries: K2 and Spice, both synthetic drugs known as cannabinoids. Spice, in particular, has resulted in serious side effects including deaths amongst prison populations. The drugs are smoked and, prosecutors somewhat mildly say "“can cause psychosis, violent behaviour and other problems.”

Prosecutors say that the defendants worked with Manuel “Junior” Dasilva, a former inmate at Shirley to get synthetic drugs inside the prison. In total, there are nine co-defendants.

The drug is dissolved in water, sprayed onto sheets of paper, and recovered in the jail before being distributed. Prosecutors say that, in the prison, the group had a single dealer.