Credit: Tom Sofield/NewtownPANow.com
An inmate at Bucks County Correctional Facility has admitted to smuggling buprenorphine into the jail and was sentenced last week to time served to 23 months in jail.
Ricky Paulino, 27, of New York, pleaded guilty last week to felony possession of a controlled substance by an inmate and misdemeanor counts of drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to court records.
Paulino received credit for time served sine July 16, 2025 to Jan. 21, per court order.
As part of his sentencing, Paulino is prohibited from consuming drugs and must find employment within 30 days of release.
Following confinement, Paulino will be on probation for three years.
On May 16, 2025, at 8:30 a.m., the jails Special Response Team was conducting a search of an area of the jail. Two officers were searching Paulino’s cell, which also housed inmate Elvin Guzman.
An officer found contraband wrapped in a finger of a glove inside an envelope on the top bunk of Paulino and Guzman’s cell, which resembled strips of Suboxone, according to detectives.
Authorities questioned Guzman, who denied having any information or knowledge of the contraband, according to the complaint. Paulino confirmed to investigators that he uses the top bunk and said that officers would find contraband in an envelope, authorities said.
The contraband was sent for analysis on May 20 and was returned June 16, showing a final report indicating the contraband was buprenorphine, according to court records. Buprenorphine is an opioid medication primarily used to treat opioid use disorder.
Paulino was represented by defense attorney William Craig Penglase of Doylestown.
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