Women inmates face new drug charges
Photo 
Katie Luessenhop
ELKHORN — A former elementary school teacher sentenced to six months in jail faces new drug charges for snorting heroin in a Walworth County Jail bathroom.
Katie M. Luessenhop, 27, formerly of Lake Geneva, was sentenced in June to six months in jail and three years probation on two counts of felony possession of heroin and one count of felony bail jumping.
At the time, Luessenhop apologized to the Walworth Elementary School community and said she was hoping and praying for another chance in the community. She was to be released at the end of this month.
Luessenhop is now charged with possession of narcotics after a random drug test came back positive for morphine, a metabolite of Heroin, according to the criminal complaint.
She admitted to snorting a line of heroin in a female Huber dorm bathroom at the Walworth County Jail, according to the complaint. The drug was purchased from another inmate who also had work release privileges, according to the complaint.
Charged with delivering the drug is 24-year-old Amber L. Drummond, formerly of Lake Geneva. She was jailed in April after officers caught her with 70 bindles containing about 7 grams of heroin in a Lake Geneva apartment.
Drummond admitted to picking up three capsules of heroin, using two—one at the jail—and giving one to Luessenhop, according to the complaint. She had a release date of April 23.
Luessenhop faces 72 years in prison and $10,000 in fines for possessing heroin as a repeat offender. Drummond faces 162 years for delivering the drug as a repeat offender. Their work release privileges also are suspended.
Jail Administrator Mike Schmitz said inmates in the Huber dorms are searched every time they return to jail. They are required to remove their clothes and jail staff perform a visual search, he said.
“Inmates just try to find different ways of getting stuff past us, and sometimes they succeed,” he said.
Luessenhop is expected to appear in court today.
Dec 19, 2009 at 10:11 p.m.
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She definitely won't ever teach again, and now will probably get to see Tachedya...
Dec 19, 2009 at 9:58 p.m.
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She deserves to go to PRISON now.. her Huber sentence was a slap on the wrist!
Dec 18, 2009 at 5:17 p.m.
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She had just a couple of weeks before being released. How moronic is THAT?
She needs to stay in jail. She taught CHILDREN with Heroin on school premises. She gets no sympathy from me.
Dec 18, 2009 at 4:36 p.m.
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I believe along with her first sentence she should have been given treatment also.
Dec 18, 2009 at 4:29 p.m.
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Some people don't have a clue as to the addiction to heroin and to see young people and I have first hand seen more kids between 17 and 21 on it and it is horrible and they try to get clean and the withdrawl is more then some of them can handle. Maybe the ones who judge without knowledge need to see the whole picture. I never thought it was that addicting until I seen it amongst young kids who i care about and have tried to help, some have had to resort to other medication to get off it and the ones without insurance do what they have to to not withdrawl. I am grateful my kids didn't hit the stuff and they do care about their friends and try to help. heroin is a whole new game for these young kids and it is not going to end putting them in jail TREATMENT is more helpful then a cell block full of addicts talking about getting high and keeping it fresh in their mind till they get out.
Dec 18, 2009 at 3:50 p.m.
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You get less for killing someone.
Dec 18, 2009 at 3:43 p.m.
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That better had been the best line ever to be facing 72 years. Little ridculous when you can get 7 DUI's and only sit a couple years if that.
Dec 18, 2009 at 3:25 p.m.
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The Drug Policy Alliance Network (DPA Network) is the nation's leading organization promoting policy alternatives to the drug war that are grounded in science, compassion, health and human rights.
http://www.drugpolicy.org/homepage.cfm
Dec 18, 2009 at 2:53 p.m.
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The sentence does not fit the crime, IMO. She's a hazard to herself, so put her into rehab. It's easier to get drugs in prison than it is to get them on the street. She needs treatment, not jail time.
Dec 18, 2009 at 2:28 p.m.
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So if she hadn't been picked up on the drug screen she would have been released and no one would have known? Instead my tax dollars will be paying to keep her locked up for how long?
Dec 18, 2009 at 1:41 p.m.
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7 1/2 makes more sence. Quite a miss print I would say. Did she kill the guy/gal that brought her the drugs?
Dec 18, 2009 at 1:13 p.m.
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This woman needs to be in a secure facility with treatment. She lost her life and career to this horrible drug. It is amazing how fast this poison is spreading.
Dec 18, 2009 at 12:45 p.m.
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Think of 100 years ago when morphine was legal and you purchased cocaine in soda.
Dec 18, 2009 at 12:38 p.m.
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I believe the newspaper said she was facing 7 1/2 years
Dec 18, 2009 at 12:04 p.m.
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Just an FYI, the 72 years is likely the maximum allowable prison term under the charges pending against her, per the charges statutes. It doesn't mean she will get that amount of time if convicted. That's up to the judge at a sentencing hearing. The defense attorney and the DA can each recommend a sentence and argue for it, or they can agree on a sentence and recommend it to the judge for consideration.
Dec 18, 2009 at 11:45 a.m.
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I went to school with her, and she was nothing like this 10 years ago... Really makes me wonder what happened during that time...??
Dec 18, 2009 at 10:09 a.m.
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I wonder how much less punishment the woman that delivered the drugs will get than a man would have got had he done it.
Dec 18, 2009 at 9:34 a.m.
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I agree gonefishin, 72 years is too much but six months is to little. Maybe she can do 2 years hard time and get some help in the process. Some murders do not get 72 years.
Dec 17, 2009 at 9:33 p.m.
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gonefishin: I hope you use the same theory with alcohol, including beer and wine. Everybody chooses to consume alcohol the first time also, despite knowing it may lead to an addiction. I am sure that included you at one point.
Dec 17, 2009 at 9:20 p.m.
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Even if it cost only 30,000 per year to keep her in prison, that equals 2,160,000 over 72 years. there has to be a better way.
Dec 17, 2009 at 7:29 p.m.
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Thats too bad. That poison effects some people that way, they are going to seek it out, regardless. All the more reason that there should be the death penalty for selling it or trafficking in it.
Dec 17, 2009 at 7 p.m.
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The length of time is way too long yes but she was going to get out at the end of this month. She's was a teacher, i'm sure she knows she has a problem but what did she do about it? took more drugs and while in jail ... not the smartest thing to do. Get her help yes and far less time but a free ride .... no.
Dec 17, 2009 at 6:55 p.m.
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You really think treatment over punishment is what it would take? Might make it worse if they knew no punishment was going to be handed out and i'm sure our tax dollars goes for treatment anyways .... she couldn't even go without while in jail, what a joke.
Dec 17, 2009 at 6:54 p.m.
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72 years in prison? Does anybody find this cruel, and excessive punishment?
Considering everything that this woman has been through, and she still does drugs IN JAIL, does anyone think that maybe this a more of a problem than a crime?
Dec 17, 2009 at 4:50 p.m.
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Just another reason for treatment over punishment, but we can't have that -- that would be too cost-effective and humane.
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