Philadelphia man admits tossing contraband over Connecticut prison fence

    A Philadelphia man accused of throwing bundles with cellphones and chargers over the fence of a federal prison in Connecticut has pleaded guilty to providing contraband.

    Federal prosecutors say Dana Taylor Jr. threw the packages containing a dozen cellphones over the perimeter fence of the Danbury prison compound in January 2015.

    Taylor pleaded guilty Thursday in Hartford federal court to two counts of providing or attempting to provide contraband to an inmate of a federal prison.

    Taylor was stopped next to a fence of the Danbury prison one morning last August with a backpack containing cellphones, marijuana, tobacco and other items prosecutors say were intended for inmates. The 24-year-old faces a maximum prison term of two years and a fine of up to $200,000.

    • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

    WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

    Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

    Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal