Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
A former employee of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and a federal inmate have been charged in connection with providing and possessing a synthetic cannabinoid, known as "K2," at FMC Devens. Tasha Hammock, 43, from Bridgewater, Massachusetts, is accused of supplying contraband to an inmate. Raymond Gaines, 45, an inmate at the facility, faces charges for possessing contraband.
Gaines had previously been sentenced in January 2022 to over seven years for drug-related offenses but received clemency on January 17, 2025, reducing his sentence to five years. Allegations state that on August 18, 2024, Hammock visited Gaines in prison and secretly passed him K2-laced papers. It is also alleged that she handled money related to distributing K2 into the prison and received K2 at her home for this purpose.
Court documents reveal that law enforcement obtained a cellphone smuggled into the prison. In September 2023, messages sent from this phone discussed obtaining K2 in prison and referenced Hammock's residence as a delivery point.
K2 poses health risks at FMC Devens; both inmates and staff have reportedly become ill due to exposure. The charges carry potential penalties of up to ten years in prison and fines up to $250,000.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley alongside officials from the FBI Boston office and DOJ-OIG Northeast Regional Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea is prosecuting the case.
The allegations remain accusations until proven otherwise in court.
