Nationwide — Ivy Collins-Harris, an attorney from Rochester, New York, faces a federal charge after authorities accused her of trying to bring marijuana, tobacco, cellphones, and other contraband into a federal prison in Ohio. She was stopped at a security checkpoint before entering the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center in Youngstown, where investigators said they found the items hidden in her belongings.
According to Local 12, she arrived at the prison on Tuesday and identified herself as an attorney representing two inmates. Investigators later determined that she did not represent either prisoner. Officers stopped her during the security screening and searched a brown accordion folder she was carrying. Inside, they found two vacuum-sealed packages containing suspected marijuana and tobacco.
The search also uncovered more tobacco hidden inside a compartment of her purse. In all, authorities seized about 57 grams of suspected marijuana and 1,090 grams of tobacco. Investigators also found eight iPhones and several phone chargers. The phones were allegedly concealed inside two laptops that had been modified by removing their internal components, allowing the devices and chargers to be hidden inside.
Authorities found another cellphone when they searched her vehicle. The affidavit does not indicate that Collins-Harris made it past the prison security checkpoint with the contraband. Instead, officers intercepted her before she could enter the facility. Federal prosecutors charged her with attempting to provide contraband in prison, a charge tied to bringing prohibited items into a correctional facility. She was later released on a $20,000 bond.
Her release, however, came under review after she allegedly failed to report to pretrial services as required. In a Thursday filing, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio asked for her release to be revoked and for an emergency arrest warrant to be issued. The federal case came less than a week after Collins-Harris had also been arrested in New York.
The Seneca County Sheriff’s Office said the 37-year-old Rochester resident was arrested Sept. 16 after authorities accused her of stealing property from another person at a business in Tyre, New York. She was charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property and was released on an appearance ticket. Collins-Harris was admitted to the New York State Bar in 2024. The federal case and the New York charges remain separate matters.