Michigan Woman Arrested for Smuggling Sealed Wine Bottle Inside Body into Jail

Monique Maggiani, a 48-year-old woman from Traverse City, Michigan, was arrested on May 10, 2026, after attempting to smuggle a sealed bottle of Pinot Grigio wine into jail by concealing it inside her body. The incident began when Maggiani returned to a CVS store on May 9, from which she had previously been banned, and allegedly drank a bottle of wine in the store’s restroom. Due to intoxication, she was taken to a medical center.

The following day, despite the ban, she returned to the same CVS branch, where police were called and arrested her on trespassing charges. While being processed at the jail, a deputy sheriff discovered the unopened bottle of wine hidden inside her genital area. The bottle, which had a screw cap, was removed intact and subsequently destroyed over concerns of biological contamination.

Maggiani was charged with attempting to smuggle a prohibited item into a correctional facility, an offense that carries up to five years in prison. She later pleaded guilty to this serious charge in district court, leading prosecutors to drop several other accusations against her.

Adding to the case’s unusual nature, reports revealed that Maggiani previously worked as a counselor at a substance abuse treatment center, helping patients through critical stages of addiction recovery. She also has a history of other criminal offenses, including property crimes. What began as a simple theft and trespassing case quickly escalated into a bizarre legal matter due to the smuggling attempt uncovered only after her jail intake.