7/31/2024

ASHLAND - A Mellen woman who turned herself in to serve a 24-hour sentence has been accused of only doing so to smuggle drugs into the Ashland County Jail.

Nicole Schutte, 39, reported to jail on May 5th to serve a day as ordered by Circuit Judge Kelly McKnight. When she was escorted into the locker room to change, she asked to be held in general population rather than a holding area and was told NO. After changing, she submitted to a body scan, and in examining it, a lump was found. That lump turned out to be 15 – 800 milligram Gabapentin pills, which can induce intoxication. Schutte was given another body scan, and it came back clear. She was charged with possession with intent to deliver schedule 5 drugs, possession of a controlled substance on or near certain places and delivery of illegal articles to an inmate.