George Vera, 25, an Obese Harris County, Tx., Jail Inmate, Found with Handgun After Five Searches

I thought I had heard it all, but I was wrong. George Vera, 25, an obese Harris County jail inmate, has been charged with possession of a firearm in a correctional facility. He has also been charged with possessing or selling unlabeled recordings (439 compact discs which did not have labels noting manufacturers or distributors), which was the original reason for his arrest. Here's the kicker: he turned over a 9-millimeter handgun that had been hidden in the folds of his skin after he went through at least five searches upon his arrest and was booked into two different local jails, authorities said.

The Houston Police Department, which operates the city jail, and the Harris County Sheriff's Office, which operates the county jail, have egg on their faces and said that they are investigating the matter. This is very troubling because the authorities have maintained that officers are trained to thoroughly search suspects. Should there be a different policy for searching obese inmates? I guess there will be one now, since Vera, who reportedly weighs about 500 pounds, made them into a laughingstock, not once or twice, but five different times.

According to the Houston Chronicle, the incident comes after the troubled jail passed a surprise inspection last week by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards. The review found that all deficiencies cited during the April inspection had been corrected. In April, the lockup failed inspection because of malfunctioning intercoms, broken toilets and crowding in holding cells, where inmates are placed before they are formally booked.

I would never advocate that anyone's civil rights be violated, but it is unconscionable that this man was able enter the jail with a gun and it is equally appalling that the gun was not found until he presented it to a correction officer. What are your thoughts on this?