Fresno Man Charged with Throwing Meth into Mendota Prison Yard

By Anthony W. Haddad

Published 1 year ago on

May 23, 2024

A Fresno resident faces charges for allegedly throwing methamphetamine into the recreation yard of Mendota Prison. (Federal Bureau of Prisons)

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A federal grand jury has indicted Garrett Scott Wheelen, 33, of Fresno, on one count of possessing methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced Thursday.

Court documents state that on May 1, Wheelen arrived at the Federal Correctional Institution Mendota wearing a facemask, baseball cap, and hoodie to disguise himself.

In broad daylight, Wheelen allegedly ran to the prison fence and threw four packages into the prison’s recreation yard. He was quickly apprehended after attempting to flee. The packages contained more than three pounds of meth.

According to the criminal complaint, none of the inmates present in the recreation yard retrieved the thrown packages.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Mendota Police Department, and the Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Wheelen faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The actual sentence would be determined by the court based on statutory factors and federal sentencing guidelines.

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Anthony W. Haddad,

Multimedia Journalist

Anthony W. Haddad, who graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with his undergraduate degree and attended Fresno State for a MBA, is the Swiss Army knife of GV Wire. He writes stories, manages social media, and represents the organization on the ground.