Former prison officer admits possession of fentanyl in prison

A former correctional officer at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility in Concord has pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance and obstruction of justice for bringing the synthetic opioid fentanyl to work in January.

Lina Tarrad, 35, of the 400 block of Gilpin Road in Upper Darby, received a sentence of two years probation based on a guilty plea negotiated by Assistant District Attorney Allison Velez and defense attorney Nikole Dagessian.

Tarrad was arrested along with her husband, Adham A. Diab, 43, after they were both allegedly caught working with the controlled substance.

Diab, who is represented by criminal defense attorney Laura Dugan, is charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of contraband and conspiracy to smuggle, according to court records.

His trial against Tarrad is scheduled for Sept. 16 before Common Pleas Court Judge Dominic Pileggi, who accepted Tarrad's guilty plea on Monday.

According to the probable cause affidavits for both defendants, written by Detective Michele Deery of the Delaware County Criminal Investigation Department:

On January 4, company investigator Keith Hayward received a report that an officer found a blue bag in the toilet of an employee-only bathroom after Diab had been there.

Another officer also went into the bathroom and found bloody tissues in the trash can.

Both officers notified Hayward, who took Diab to an examination room and patted him down. Another small package containing a white substance with the word “Waverunner” printed on it was found in his pocket.

Tarrad was also asked to come into the examination room and if she had any narcotics on her. She produced another small bag containing a white substance, also stamped with the word “Waverunner” from a boot.

The fentanyl test in both bags was positive.

While being transported to the Criminal Investigation Department, Tarrad said she had requested a ten-day leave of absence from prison so she and her husband could participate in a Suboxone program. However, Deery checked with the prison and found that this information was not true.

County spokeswoman Adrienne Marofsky said both defendants resigned from their prison positions after the charges were filed.