Farmington man accused of distributing meth inside county jail

• Jesse Rue, 51, is charged with a second-degree felony count of trafficking controlled substances.
• He is accused of trafficking meth within the San Juan County Adult Detention Center on Dec. 22.
• The defendant is being held at the county jail on a $25,000 cash at 10 percent bond.

FARMINGTON — A Farmington man with multiple felony convictions is accused of trafficking methamphetamine after throwing a folded-up piece of paper with narcotics at a female inmate within the county jail.

Jesse Rue, 51, is charged with a second-degree felony count of trafficking controlled substances, according to court records.

He is accused of trafficking meth within the San Juan County Adult Detention Center on Dec. 22, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.

Shane Goranson, Rue's attorney, did not respond to request for comment.

Rue has two pending cases in state district court including two felony charges for non-residential burglary, according to court records. He is set for a jury trial on Jan. 31 in Aztec District Court on the two cases.

A San Juan County Sheriff's Office deputy was dispatched to the county jail around 3:53 p.m. on Dec. 22 on reports of Rue attempting to distribute a white, crystalline substance to a woman.

A jail officer was watching Rue talking on a phone when he saw the defendant throw a small piece of folded-up white paper in the direction of a cell occupied by a woman.

Another officer was called to assist in removing the paper that was tossed. The officer retrieved the paper and said it had a white, crystalline substance inside.

A search of Rue's cell was conducted and a small bag containing a white, crystalline substance was found rolled up inside a blanket.

Jail staff gave the bag and white piece of folded-up paper to the deputy.

Both substances tested presumptive positive for meth.

Rue told the deputy he was sitting by the phone booth and threw the white paper containing meth to the woman because he wanted her to have some since she came in with him into the jail.

The woman told the deputy she did not use meth and did not know why Rue threw the bag at her. She believed Rue threw the white piece of paper with the narcotics at her to get her in trouble.

Rue has nine felony convictions, including possession of burglary tools, criminal damage to property, conspiracy to commit burglary, possession of a controlled substance and commercial/automobile burglary, according to court records.

The defendant is being held at the county jail on a $25,000 cash at 10 percent bond.

His preliminary hearing is set for the morning of Jan. 16 in Aztec Magistrate Court.

Joshua Kellogg covers breaking news for The Daily Times. He can be reached at 505-564-4627 or via email at jkellogg@daily-times.com.

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