A Roanoke Rapids man, who allegedly placed drugs and paraphernalia inside his body, has been arrested in what the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office describes as a plot to smuggle contraband inside the facility.

Major Anzell Harris said 31-year-old Andrew Franz is one of at least 10 people allegedly involved in a conspiracy to get arrested on a bogus warrant to get contraband inside the jail.

According to the warrant, Franz had 17.52 grams of marijuana, 4.22 grams of suboxone, 7.51 grams of amphetamine, as well as plastic wraps, rolling papers, and matches removed from inside his body at ECU North Hospital.

The alleged plot was thwarted on July 14 by agents of the Halifax Regional Drug and Gang Task Force, Harris said.

During the previous week, agents received information that inmates inside the detention center were conspiring with individuals on the outside to smuggle items in. The plan relied on having someone conceal items inside their body and then get arrested on a bogus warrant that would send them to the jail.

Agents identified numerous people involved inside the jail as well as numerous individuals who were not incarcerated.

Agents identified Franz as the person who was going to be arrested and have the items concealed inside his body. In the early morning hours of July 14, Harris said Franz put the plan into motion by surrendering to Roanoke Rapids police officers on an injury to personal property charge.

Franz was met at the detention center by agents. “He quickly realized the plan was not going to go as smoothly as he and the others thought it would,” Harris said.

Agents applied for a search warrant, and Franz was taken to ECU North where numerous packages of contraband were removed from him. Franz was then returned to the detention center for booking on new charges related to the plot.

Through the investigation, agents obtained warrants and arrested the following individuals for their involvement:

Andrew Franz: Charged with felony conspiracy, conspiring to deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, conspiring to deliver a Schedule III controlled substance, conspiring to deliver a Schedule VI controlled substance, felony possession of a controlled substance inside jail premises, possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, possession with intent to sell and deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, possession with intent to sell and deliver a Schedule III controlled substance, simple possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, simple possession of a Schedule III controlled substance, simple possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Franz was booked into the Halifax County Detention Center under a $32,500 secured bond.

Ryan Paul Medlin, 29, of Roanoke Rapids: Charged with felony conspiracy, conspiring to deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, conspiring to deliver a Schedule III controlled substance, and conspiring to deliver a Schedule VI controlled substance. Medlin was already in the detention center, where he was served with his charges and received a $50,000 secured bond.

James Isaac Hardin, 22, of Red Springs: Charged with felony conspiracy, conspiring to deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, conspiring to deliver a Schedule III controlled substance, and conspiring to deliver a Schedule VI controlled substance. Hardin was already in the detention center, where he was served with his charges and received a $20,000 secured bond.

Travis Robinson, 39, of Roanoke Rapids: Charged with felony conspiracy. Robinson was already in the detention center, where he was served with his charges and received a $10,000 secured bond.

Christopher Ian Hardin, 21, of Red Springs: Charged with felony conspiracy, conspiring to deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, conspiring to deliver a Schedule III controlled substance, and conspiring to deliver a Schedule VI controlled substance. Hardin was arrested on July 16 in Robeson County and received a $130,000 secured bond.

Casey Cooper, 29, of Roanoke Rapids: Charged with felony conspiracy. Cooper was arrested July 14 at the Halifax County Magistrate's Office and received a $2,000 secured bond.

Ryan Nathaniel Medlin, 32, of Roanoke Rapids: Charged with felony conspiracy, conspiring to deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, conspiring to deliver a Schedule III controlled substance, and conspiring to deliver a Schedule VI controlled substance.

Heather Pierce, 32, of Roanoke Rapids: Charged with felony conspiracy. Ryan Nathaniel Medlin and Pierce were arrested during a traffic stop by agents in the Enfield area on July 15. Medlin received a $50,000 secured bond and Pierce received a $20,000 secured bond.

All of the listed defendants received an August 5, 2026, court date.

Regina Lilley, 45, of Roanoke Rapids, and Amanda Willis, 37, of Littleton, currently have outstanding warrants for their arrest for felony conspiracy. Lilley and Willis are encouraged to surrender to law enforcement, Harris said.

The investigation is ongoing and more people could be charged.