40 Indicted in Meth Ring Run from Indiana Prison

A federal indictment says 40 people are facing charges in connection to a methamphetamine ring that was run from at least two Indiana prisons with the help of corrections officers.

An indictment unsealed Wednesday says corrections officers smuggled cellphones and controlled substances into the prisons, and at least three inmates are among those charged. Among them is the alleged ringleader who's serving time for murder and attempted murder. 

At least 17 people appeared in court Wednesday in Indianapolis. Prosecutors argued that the defendants were flight risks, and the judge ordered they be held in custody.

The FBI had earlier declined to comment but confirmed that several people had been arrested after 300 agents spread out across the state in what a spokeswoman called "investigative activity.''