BOSTON—A former state employee is in hot water after pleading guilty to sneaking K2-laced papers to a federal inmate. Tasha Hammock, 43, once a worker with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, admitted to providing contraband during a visit at FMC Devens on August 18, 2024. The dramatic revelation comes as federal prosecutors announced her case, which could see her facing a decade behind bars.

Hammock's legal troubles escalated when she allegedly passed synthetic cannabinoid-laced papers to Raymond Gaines, a federal inmate with a long rap sheet, who was already serving time for drug distribution. Gaines, a known associate of the Orchard Park Trailblazers street gang, received clemency earlier this year, reducing his federal drug sentence to just five years.

The ramifications of K2 in prison are serious. Reports indicate that inmates at FMC Devens have suffered health issues from smoking the tainted papers, raising alarms about the staff's exposure to harmful secondhand smoke.

Now, with a sentencing date set for January 2026, Hammock could face significant penalties that include up to 10 years in prison and hefty fines of up to $250,000. The plot thickens as authorities continue to investigate the extent of the operation, and the public is left wondering how a state employee could slip through the cracks in such a critical environment.

Images from the official U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts press release.

With a case like this, the question remains—who else might be involved? The legal stakes are high, and the fallout from this scandal could send shockwaves through the Massachusetts state system.