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Hamilton
Prosecutor: ‘This was before the jail had the body scanner available. This incident did help demonstrate the need for a body scanner to further limit the ability of people with bad intentions of sneaking things into the jail that do not belong there.’
By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor
HART — A 28-year-old woman was sentenced to six to 20 years in prison in Oceana County’s 51st Circuit Court Monday, Aug. 25, for a conviction of delivery/manufacture of methamphetamine.
Janet Mae-Fawn Hamilton, was one of four women criminally charged for doing meth inside the Oceana County Jail May 13, 2024.
Hamilton pleaded guilty Aug. 5, 2024 to delivery/manufacture of methamphetamine for her role of sharing the drug with the three other inmates. Charges of methamphetamine possession, furnishing contraband to prisoners and prisoner possessing contraband were dismissed.
Judge Susan K. Sniegowski sentenced Hamilton Monday to 72 months to 20 years in prison with credit for 282 days served in jail.
It is believed she smuggled the meth into the jail in her vaginal area, said Oceana County Prosecuting Attorney Joseph Bizon.
The other inmates in the case received jail terms.
Candice Lee Fennel, 29, of Hesperia, pleaded guilty July 22, 2024 to prisoner possessing contraband and was sentenced to seven months in jail. A charge of methamphetamine was dismissed.
Dorothy Geneva Collins, 60, of Hart was sentenced Sept. 9, 2024 to one year in jail with credit for 119 days served. Collins pleaded guilty July 15, 2024 to methamphetamine possession, and charges of prisoner possessing contraband and lying to a police officer were dismissed. Collins also was sentenced in a probation violation case. The two cases ran consecutively. Probation stems from a Nov. 13, 2023 conviction of carrying a concealed weapon.
Ashlynnd Marie Smith, 29, of Ludington, pleaded guilty July 22, 2024 to prisoner possessing contraband and was sentenced to 10 days in jail with credit for 10 days served and one year probation. Charges of methamphetamine possession and lying to a police officer were dismissed. Smith is scheduled to appear for a probation violation hearing in the case, Sept. 29 at 9 a.m.
“I have wanted to publicly comment on this case, but have been prevented by the limitations of Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct 3.6 and 3.8 that prohibit pretrial comment on cases until they are resolved,” explained Prosecutor Bizon in a written statement provided to OCP Tuesday, Aug. 26.
“Sometime between May 13-15, 2025, Janet Hamilton was placed in a holding cell in the Oceana County Jail. In that cell with her were fellow inmates Dorothy Collins, Ashlynnd Smith and Candice Fennel. Janet Hamilton came into this cell possessing methamphetamine. It is believed she smuggled the contraband into the jail in her vaginal area. We know she received a proper intake search. This was before the jail had the body scanner available — human searches have very real limitations.
“The issue became known to jail staff when they observed excessively hyperactivity in the cell and one of the inmates, Fennel, made a conscious decision to attempt to separate herself from the drugs. Fennel recognized that this was not healthy and asked a corrections officer for help. The corrections staff working with the deputies then worked swiftly to deal with both the medical and investigatory issues that they needed to.
“As this situation drew attention due to its unique occurrence and interesting details, many people commented on the story online,” said Bizon. “Some things are true such as addiction is a very real issue that must be dealt with. People related to, or friends with the inmates, openly accused the jail staff of allowing this for various reasons. This is false, this is offensively slanderous and defamatory to the sheriff, undersheriff, jail lieutenant, and the good staff working under them. That team works as hard as anyone I have ever worked with to properly care for the inmates in their care and treat people properly. This incident did help demonstrate the need for a body scanner to further limit the ability of people with bad intentions of sneaking things into the jail that do not belong there.
“In addition to the great work of the law enforcement officers and the jail staff for addressing this, some credit needs to be given to Ms. Fennel for her help bringing this to the attention of authorities,” said the prosecutor. “She did so to get help and separate herself from her addiction. For this she did receive a lighter sentence. Ashlynnd Smith ultimately agreed to testify, but only after being caught. Ms. Collins was an obstructionist with the police — she lied to investigators and was recorded in her phone calls laughing with a family member that she was ‘never going to snitch.’ Due to her lack of cooperation, Ms. Collins received a much stiffer sentence than the two inmates who cooperated.”
Hamilton also received concurrent terms for another case and two probation violation cases Monday, according to court records. She pleaded guilty June 9, 2025 to assaulting/resisting/obstructing police and was sentenced Monday to 181 days in jail with credit for 181 days served. For her probation violation cases, Hamilton was sentenced to two to four years with credit for 421 days served in jail and two to five years with credit for 421 days served in jail. Probation stems from a Jan. 8, 2024 conviction of false report of a felony in one file and Jan. 8, 2024 convictions of third-degree fleeing police and operating while intoxicated in a second file.
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