Suspect's mother speaks about FBI raid

HAMILTON, Ind. (WANE)  22-year-old Haley Burrell of Steuben County was the only person in northeast Indiana arrested during Wednesday’s FBI raids.  Her mother, Laura Burrell, spoke exclusively with NewsChannel 15 Thursday and said this isn’t her family’s first run-in with the law.

Laura Burrell said she was at the Hamilton, Indiana home when officers came knocking around 6:00 a.m. Wednesday.  They were looking for her daughter, who she said was sleeping inside.

“They said, ‘Haley we have to talk to you.  Come out here.’  They arrested her pretty much without incident,” Laura Burrell said.  “There were police officers around the side of the house.  There were some out in the street.  There were some cars out in the parking lot.”

A federal indictment said Haley Burrell "revealed the existence of an FBI investigation into [Justin] Addler's drug trafficking activities.  Burrell also revealed the identity of an FBI informant to Addler."  Addler is an inmate said to be part of a prison drug ring.

When asked about Haley Burrell's indictment, her mother said, "I believe she was dragged into this and I know for a fact that she did not have a full comprehension of the ramifications of what was going on."

Forty people were indicted Wednesday following an investigation and raids by the FBI involving a meth and heroin distribution ring that was allegedly run by inmates inside an Indiana prison and involved the cooperation of Indiana Department of Corrections officers.  At least 17 people were in court Thursday after hundreds of FBI agents made arrests on the prison drug ring.

This isn't the first time Laura Burrell's children have been in the spotlight for a negative reason.  Her son is Zao Burrell.  In June, Zao Burrell was wanted for a Steuben County murder, is said to have shot at police during a high speed chase, and was eventually arrested after a large-scale manhunt.

Though Zao and Haley are now facing jail time, their mother Laura Burrell defended her children and is looking for ways to get out what she calls the truth.
    
"They were raised right.  They've been involved in situations, some they were pushed into, some they walked into, and some of them just happened," Laura Burrell said.  "But they're good people.  There are two sides to every story."