PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A Valley paralegal has been arrested after deputies said they found him trying to smuggle drugs into the 4th Avenue Jail in Phoenix.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said Christopher Byers was arrested on Thursday on related charges. In Arizona, prison contraband involving drugs is a class 2 felony.
According to the department, Byers submitted paperwork at the jail for an inmate, but since multiple pages were discolored, a field drug test was conducted. The papers then tested positive for synthetic cannabis, more commonly known as “Spice” or “K2.”
MCSO said a K-9 helped alert them to drugs at the 4th Avenue Jail on Aug. 14, 2025.(Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)
Authorities then conducted a coordinated search of the jail, and a K-9 alerted detention officers to drugs that appeared similar to those brought in by Byers. Those papers also tested positive for synthetic cannabis.
Deputies also conducted a search warrant of Byers’ home, where they allegedly found several pieces of evidence linking him to the crime.
“Keeping drugs out of our jail facility is one of my highest priorities,” said Sheriff Jerry Sheridan in a written statement. “The safety of our staff, inmates, and the integrity of our facilities rely on a zero-tolerance approach. We remain fully committed to preventing the flow of contraband and holding accountable anyone who attempts to introduce it.”
Charges are pending for the inmates who were reportedly involved.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Copyright 2025 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.