A man from Maumee, Ohio, has been sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison for mailing books soaked with illegal drugs to inmates at a local correctional facility. Austin Siebert, 30, received a sentence of 140 months in prison from U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent after pleading guilty in August to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, as well as possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Siebert’s prior convictions include aggravated trafficking in drugs in 2018 and robbery in 2021. In addition to his prison term, he was ordered to serve four years of supervised release following his incarceration. The sentence was handed down on November 18.
Court documents reveal that officials at the Grafton Correctional Institution in Lorain County discovered Siebert had been regularly communicating with several inmates and sending them books through the mail. Investigators seized suspicious packages containing books, which were sent for forensic analysis. The contraband tested positive for synthetic cannabinoids such as 5-Fluoro-ADB and MDMB-4en-PINACA.
A federal search warrant executed at Siebert’s residence led agents to seize a paperback book suspected of being soaked with narcotics, a loaded Bersa Thunder .380 semiautomatic pistol, multiple bags containing suspected drugs in pill and powder forms, a book binding machine, and package mailing labels.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), with support from the Ohio State Highway Patrol and staff at the Grafton Correctional Institution.
Assistant United States Attorney Segev Phillips prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.
