Lewis

ELKINS – A Randolph County woman received a one-to-five-year sentence for possessing a fentanyl while she was an inmate.

Mercedes Lynn Lewis, 33, was sentenced by Randolph County Circuit Court Judge Jaymie Wilfong to no less than one, and no more than five years in prison for one count of possession of a controlled substance by inmate, a felony.

On Feb. 25, Lewis entered into a plea agreement, pleading guilty to one count of possession of a controlled substance by inmate. Lewis had been initially indicted in October by the Randolph County Grand Jury on one count of transportation of controlled substances onto the grounds of a correctional facility, one count of possession of a controlled substance by inmate and one count of offense committed by inmate, all felonies.

Lewis appeared in court on April 22 with attorney Morris Davis for a sentencing hearing. During the hearing, Davis asked Wilfong to issue an alternative sentence of supervised probation for Lewis. Davis stated that Lewis had a tough life with a “long, sordid history with drugs,” but Lewis was able to stay sober from 2018 to early 2024 while employed at recovery centers and while working with people with similar addictions.

He asked the court to help Lewis maintain her current sobriety as, when Lewis was found with the fentanyl in the jail, Davis said she was attempting suicide by trying to swallow the bag the substance was in. Davis said he was thankful that Lewis failed in her attempt as “she’s got a lot to offer the world, despite her criminal history.”

Lewis also addressed the court, explaining that she attributes her previous success in sobriety to being “active in her recovery.” This included Lewis graduating Drug Court, receiving her peer recovery coach certification, working in treatment facilities, going to Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings three times a week, transporting people to treatment centers and more.

Lewis said actively raising her children also helped keep her on track. She also said that her current involvement in the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) Program while in jail has taught her a lot of new things through peer conversations and advice. Lewis told the court that RSAT has allowed her to talk about issues she kept to herself and that, “it makes a big difference to know you’re not alone.”

Randolph County Assistant Prosecutor Christina Harper told the court that, in reviewing the case, she was made aware that it was “quite a task” for correctional officers to remove the controlled substances from Lewis’ mouth. Harper said that Lewis’ actions made the facility less safe as it took “a number” of correctional officers away from their posts to handle the situation.

Harper asked the court to sentence Lewis to one to five years. Harper added that, if the court were to issue an alternative sentence, she’d recommend that rehabilitation, such as in-patient treatment, be a condition of the sentence.

After sentencing Lewis, Wilfong stated that she could possibly be open to a Rule 35B motion asking her to reconsider Lewis’ sentence, if Lewis is able to show that she has a sobriety plan for when she is out on parole for a different, previous charge. Wilfong said that Lewis has a lot of knowledge on drug addiction and rehabilitation, and that Lewis “would be a huge benefit on this side of the jail” once her time is served.