TheBayNet received considerable public outcry through comments and support emails regarding a young woman’s six month sentence for giving one prescribed Percocet pill to her husband. We decided to further investigate the case and find out why this seemingly innocent twenty-something received six months for what seems to be a minor wrongdoing.
TheBayNet sent reporters to speak with St. Mary’s County State’s Attorney Richard (Rick) Fritz, Jessica Granis, and the father of the convicted Jessica Granis, Bob Harvet.
Fritz says the six-month jail sentence was justified. He noted in an interview with TheBayNet at his courthouse office that there was also more to the case than actually came out during the sentencing hearing.
Jessica Granis, 27, of Lusby was sentenced June 2 by Judge Michael Stamm to three years in jail but all but six months was suspended. Fritz pointed out that he charged Granis with conspiracy to distribute which is a misdemeanor instead of a felony, so that in itself was a break for her. But he also said that the police report that was the underpinning of her indictment showed that there was more involved than her giving a prescription pill to her husband because his prescription had run out, as was reported by her attorney, public defender Sean Moran during the sentencing hearing. See The Bay Net’s original story: /articles/0615/wife-jailed-for-giving-one-pill-to-her-husband.html
The basis of the case was the police report; which goes on to say: “”Information was received that while Jessica Granis was in the parking lot of St. John’s Pharmacy (in Hollywood) she was observed possibly distributing her pills to a person who was waiting in Jessica’s vehicle. The prior month when Jessica Granis was observed at St. John’s Pharmacy getting prescriptions, a male passenger in her vehicle was observed snorting an unknown substance.”
Then on October 10, 2013, the report goes on to say: “during surveillance members of the Narcotics Division observed Jessica Granis at St. John’s Pharmacy. While Jessica Granis was inside the pharmacy, two white males and a white female were waiting in Jessica’s vehicle.” The report then gives the vehicle registration number.
The report then says, “There were times before Jessica returned to her vehicle, the two males got out of the vehicle and walked through the parking lot. Also the white female entered the pharmacy to talk to Jessica while she was waiting. Once Jessica Granis obtained the prescriptions, she went back outside and got into her vehicle where everyone was waiting. Due to other vehicles in the parking lot and the location of the suspect’s vehicle, detectives were unable to see occupants in the vehicle. The vehicle then left the parking lot and traveled to Calvert County.”
The detective’s luck changed when he was able to receive a video from the store’s surveillance system. The deputy reported, “While I was reviewing the video, I observed Jessica Granis obtain prescriptions and return to her vehicle. Once in the driver’s seat of her vehicle, Jessica Granis opened the prescription bag and opened a prescription bottle. It appears she obtained pills from her pill bottle, turned to the back passengers and passed something to the rear. While still holding her prescription bottle, it appears she took additional pills from the bottle and gave them to the right front passenger.”
An indictment was handed down late last year and Granis was arrested Dec. 15 and placed on pre-trial supervision. Three days later she tested positive for marijuana.
After reciting the allegations against Granis, Fritz then reminded those who were critical of the sentence about the epidemic of prescription pill abuse and heroin addiction. “A lot of people are very seriously injured. They have legitimate prescriptions and then become hooked. The doctors cut them off.” So they wind up getting the pills from their friends and vice versa, buying them on the street, turning in phony prescriptions or doctor shopping. “If they can’t get the pills, they switch to heroin,” Fritz said.
To break the cycle of addiction, incarceration is the leverage the state has over those who are addicted, he said. When they get out they can be placed on probation and receive drug treatment, which the judge ordered for Granis. “Then we have done good for the community,” Fritz said.
The alternative, Fritz said — “she will die or someone she gives pills to will die.” He added, “You can’t treat them with kid gloves. You need a heavy hammer over their heads.”
Fritz observed that in the incident described by Corporal Lebanowski at St. John’s Pharmacy (now CVS), “They were so addicted they couldn’t wait to get out of the parking lot.”
TheBayNet also spoke with Bob Harvet, the father of Jessica Granis, who surprisingly agreed with Fritz that the sentence was justified.
Harvet told TheBayNet that he is hoping the time his daughter is spending away from her husband Richard Granis will help her recover from addiction.
“It is a blessing that this happened to my daughter,” Harvet said. “RJ [husband] is the worst thing that ever happen to my daughter.”
Harvet said that he hopes that his daughter can recover to become the woman that she was before the struggles with opiates began.
“Until she wants to go she ain’t gonna change” Harvet said. Referring to getting Granis into rehab.
Harvet said that he hired Charles Walton (Attorney) to write a letter to the judge so that Granis could get the help that she needs in rehab instead of a six month stay in jail.
“She is a good girl, and she knows how to work hard,” Harvert said.”She’s my daughter and I love her.”
Unrelated to this case a source told TheBayNet that Granis’ sister-in-law was found dead of a supposed overdose on Oxycodone (Percocet) on June 3, one day after Granis was sentenced.
TheBayNet reached out to Jessica Granis and she refused to be interviewed.
TheBayNet also made multiple phone calls to Richard Granis and Charles Walton’s office for further information; calls have not been returned at the time of this story being published.
Contact Dick Myers at dick.myers@thebaynet.com and Charlie Seifert at C.Seifert@thebaynet.com