Inmate at York County prison charged after black tar heroin found

An inmate at the York County Prison has been charged with felony heroin possession with intent to distribute after jailers allegedly found black tar heroin in his hat, police said.

Michael Anthony Ellis, 51, was charged Saturday with the felony drug charge and possession of contraband in a prison, according to police records.

During a routine check of cells, officers found a bag of what police believed to be heroin hidden under a flap in Ellis’s hat, according to a sheriff’s incident report. Deputies seized the drugs.

The county prison behind the Moss Justice Center in York is operated by the York County Public Works Department and is separate from the county jail operated by the York County Sheriff’s Office. It houses minimum security inmates being held for short-term sentences.

This story was originally published December 12, 2017 at 11:35 AM with the headline "Inmate at York County prison charged after black tar heroin found."