JACKSON – Three visitors to the Northampton County Jail are staying longer than they expected.

Thanks to new security measures instituted at the facility by Northampton County Sheriff Wardie Vincent, which were recently approved by the Northampton County Commissioners, a group attempting to take drugs into the Northampton County Detention Center were captured January 19.

&uot;When we were updating the security of the jail, we wanted equipment that would allow us to view all areas,&uot; Vincent said. &uot;We made sure that was part of the package that was recently installed here and it has already paid off.&uot;

Four people, all living at 131 Sessoms Drive in Rich Square, are in jail facing multiple felony counts. One of those was the man being detained by Northampton County officials.

Those charged include:

Inmate King Matthew Whitaker, 20, is under a $6,000 secured bond on three counts of conspiracy to deliver marijuana (schedule four) to the Northampton County Detention Center as a result of the incident;

Shirley Whitaker, 52, is charged with two counts of conspiracy to deliver marijuana (schedule four) to the Northampton County Detention Center and is under a $15,000 secured bond;

Yvonne Whitaker, 25, faces two counts of conspiracy to deliver marijuana (schedule four) to the Northampton County Detention Center, two counts of felony possession of a controlled substance on a jail premises and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She is jailed under a total of $16,000 secured bond; and

Gary Edwards, 36, is under three felony counts of conspiracy to deliver marijuana (schedule four) to the Northampton County Detention Center and is under a $15,000 secured bond.

All four suspects are still in custody in the Northampton County Jail.