Chicago man charged after drug-laced papers found in his prison uniform: Sheriff's Office

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Pictured is 22-year-old Keon Brown.

CHICAGO – A Chicago man being held in Cook County Jail has been charged after investigators found dozens of drug-laced pieces of paper in his pants.

Keon Brown, 22, was charged Tuesday with unlawful possession of contraband in a penal institution, a Class 1 felony.

His charges were dropped after a sergeant found 14 homemade envelopes in Brown's possession during a routine search on May 28.

Each of the envelopes contained two strips of suspected drug-soaked paper hidden in a glove in Brown's DOC uniform pants, the sheriff's office said.

The strips were sent to the Illinois State Crime Lab for further testing. Authorities said the results showed the strips were positive for synthetic cannabinoids.

Brown has been in custody since October 2023, when he was charged with unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a stolen motor vehicle.

The sheriff's office said Brown is the 38th person charged with possession or smuggling of drug-laced paper into jail this year.

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